Unwanted Choice
by lovelyangelxox
Summary: When Sasuke and Hinata were younger, they were promised to each other in order to form a bond between two of Konoha's most powerful clans. Now 21, both have been forced into a marriage neither of them wanted. Will they be able to form a bond a husband and wife should have? Or will they be stuck in a loveless marriage forever? Cover art done by an-yy-sue on deviantart
1. One Sad Night

***I do not own Naruto***

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><p><span><strong>Chapter 1: One Sad Night<strong>

_3 Months Ago_

Walking through their front door, Sasuke and Hinata were both characteristically quiet. Neither of them talked much to begin with and their marriage to each other hadn't quite changed that, save for the occasional small talk they had when Hinata was cooking dinner or when Sasuke was training in the backyard.

Sasuke turned to look at Hinata as she sat down on the couch; the entire night her eyes appeared to be filled with tears that refused to fall. Yet she put on a brave smile during the whole event, giggling with friends during the reception, refusing to let anyone know what was up. Sasuke had noticed. He always noticed when something was wrong with Hinata. He just never knew how to approach her about it. However, due to the circumstances of what happened tonight, something inside of him made him attempt to seek what was wrong with his wife. "It was a nice wedding", Sasuke said monotonously. He tried to back his words with some tone of interest but as usual, he failed in that department.

Hinata looked up at him when he spoke, a bit surprised he said anything. "Y-yeah, it was a nice wedding wasn't it?" Hinata responded softly, looking down once more. Knowing that without more prodding, Hinata wouldn't say anything more, he mentally sighed and sat down on the couch next to her, leaving a reasonable amount of space between the two. She looked at him for a second when he sat down next to her but didn't say anything. "Did you enjoy yourself?" Half-nodding, Hinata replied "Yes, I did. It was a joyous event after all. It's nice to see Naruto so…"

Hinata trailed off and some of the tears she'd been holding back all night spilled onto her cheeks. Sasuke raised an eyebrow when he saw this but didn't say anything about it. Hinata quickly composed herself when she realized what she did and quickly wiped away her stray tears. "I'm sorry Sasuke," she started, looking at him with a small, polite smile. "I-I just get really emotional at weddings. I'm really happy for the two of them. They deserve happiness."

The way that Hinata said her last sentence got Sasuke's attention. She said it with a type of longing, as thought that was something she wanted for herself but hadn't obtained yet. A silence fell between them and it wasn't long before tears started spilling from her eyes again. She buried her face in her hands and started quietly sobbing, unable to hold her emotions back any longer. Although they had been married for six months at that point, Sasuke had never seen Hinata cry like that. Of course, everyone Konoha had seen Hinata cry at one time or another, especially when they were in the academy together but over the years, she had gotten in control of her emotions and only cried when something truly bothered her.

The way Hinata was crying shot a tinge of pain through Sasuke's body, yet he had no idea why. '_I should do something. I can't just leave her like this' _he thought to himself. Scootching closer to his wife, Sasuke put his hand on Hinata's back, rubbing it soothingly. Hinata quickly looked up at Sasuke, surprised at his actions. Sasuke Uchiha was never known for his show of emotion so him touching her like this, even if it was just an act as simple as rubbing her back, shocked her. Sasuke sensed her eyes on him and he looked at her. Their eyes met and locked while Sasuke continued to rub Hinata's back.

Without warning, Hinata lunged towards him, pressing her soft lips upon his. The usually stoic Ninja became wide-eyed at the kunoichi's actions. The way her lips felt upon his made him want more. He quickly wrapped his arms around her curvy figure and brought her closer to his body. He pressed his lips back into hers, making their kiss deeper and harder. Hinata couldn't help but wrap her arms around Sasuke's strong neck, moving herself into his lap. The bold move from the quiet kunoichi surprised Sasuke, making him smirk against her lips. Not wanting to be upstaged, Sasuke suddenly stood up from the couch, lifting Hinata with him. Their kisses became more passionate as Sasuke stumbled his way into their bedroom.

Finding his way to their bed, Sasuke placed Hinata on the bed without breaking their kiss, moving right on top of her. He liked the way his body felt on top of hers, a position he seldom got a chance to partake in. His hands trailed up and down her figure while their lips worked magic together. Something inside of him stirred and he realized he wanted more of her. Moving his tongue from the inside of his mouth, he grazed Hinata's lips during their kisses, silently asking for entry into his mouth. Hinata's mouth did not budge, making Sasuke frown slightly. He then decided to get what he wanted another way; moving his hand down her back, Sasuke moved his index finger and thumb and pinched Hinata's skin, not hard enough to cause immense pain but hard enough to make her respond. And respond she did – Hinata gasped when she felt the pinch, opening her mouth slightly. This was all Sasuke needed to get in.

He slid his tongue into his mouth, making Hinata's eyes fly open. She wasn't used to this at all but she slowly complied with his action, moving her tongue to wrestle with his. The kisses between them became more heated as each minute passed on. Hinata could feel warmth forming in her while Sasuke could feel something grow within his dress pants. Wanting to continue, Sasuke slowly moved his mouth away from Hinata's, making her look at him in a bit of confusion. He slowly started planting kissing on her cheek and jawbone, making his way down to her neck.

There, he decided to explore to find a spot that she reacted to. After searching for a couple seconds, he heard a tiny gasp. Smirking, he knew he had found a spot to play with. Sasuke started sucking on it playfully, wanting to get another reaction from his wife. Hinata tried to hold back, not wanting to give into this unfamiliar feeling. However, Sasuke was persistent and soon, she found herself moaning softly at his sucks. Hearing her moan turned Sasuke on, and it made him want to give her more just so he could continue hearing those sweet noises from her once more. Sasuke started sucking harder on the spot on her neck and Hinata couldn't help but moan a little louder. "Oh….mhmm…" she breathed out softly as Sasuke worked his magic. "Oh Naruto…"

Sasuke couldn't believe his ears. Hearing that name come out of Hinata's mouth made him stop everything and snap up abrasively. Anger he didn't know existed started boil inside of him and he balled his hands into fists. He looked into Hinata's eyes with a harsh coldness that she had personally never seen from him before. Hinata, taken aback by the look, wondered what was wrong until she realized what she had said. She covered her mouth in shame and tears filled her eyes. Sasuke got up from the bed and stiffly stood up. He turned his back to her and started walking towards the door. "Sasuke wait...I'm –" Sasuke slammed the door to their bedroom so hard that it shook the whole house. He grabbed his jacket, went to the front door and slammed that one as well, heading off into the cool night. Hearing the front door slam, Hinata sat up from her position on the bed. Ashamed and guilty of what has just happened, she put her head to her knees and sobbed in pain.

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><p><strong>(Thanks for stumbling upon my story! Please leave me any reviews if you can; I'd really appreciate it! It's my first time writing a fanfiction so I'm kinda nervous but I'm also excited to see where this will go!)<strong>


	2. Inner Thoughts

***I do not own Naruto***

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><p><strong><span>Chapter 2: Inner Thoughts<span>**

_Present Day_

Hinata had already started cooking dinner when he walked through the front door. She looked up at him, a tiny part of her hoping to elicit any type of response from him but, as usual, he paid her no mind. He walked straight to their bedroom door and closed it, leaving Hinata alone once more. Sighing sadly, she looked down and continued preparing dinner.

_'I'm trying Sasuke, I really am_.'

Ever since that night, Sasuke had become increasingly distant towards Hinata (not to say he was close to her in the first place). Their little tidbits of small talk they used to have diminished into thin air and he hardly looked at her anymore, expect to mumble a quiet "thanks" whenever he had finished his dinner.

The only time Hinata heard actual sentences coming from his mouth was when she would pass by the training grounds to meet up with Kiba and/or Shino and catch a glimpse of Naruto and Sasuke training together.

Seeing them train together was a magnificent treat for Hinata; two of the village's most powerful ninja going head to head put her in a trance. Although she had greatly improved since her genin days, Hinata still longed to be as strong as the two ninja she watched. She didn't ever admit it out loud, but she still wanted to prove to her father that she is a powerful Hyuga, despite what he or others may say.

Walking to the bedroom, Hinata tapped on the door lightly. Her hand was on the door handle, debating on whether or not she should open it. "Sasuke?" she said quietly. No response. She tapped on the door again. "Sasuke? Dinner's ready." Again, no response. '_Maybe he didn't hear me?'_ Slowly, Hinata turned the doorknob of their bedroom. Before she could peek her head in, Sasuke appeared from behind the door. "I heard you," He said unkindly. Their eyes met for just a moment and when they did, all Hinata could see was coldness in Sasuke's eyes. She quickly looked down and nodded, moving away from their bedroom door and into the living room.

Hinata had set up the table the way she always did – she at one end of the table and he on the other. Even though she set the table like this always, Hinata had begun to hate this arrangement after that night. Anytime she would glance up from her plate, his eyes would meet hers with a glare with so much anger that it scared her. She once contemplated moving her table placement to the seat on the right-hand side of Sasuke's, not to be closer to him but so she could go through one meal without having to get that glare from him. She ultimately decided against it, figuring it would be easier to deal with his glares than to feel the loathing he had for her radiating from his skin.

Sasuke, on the other hand, appreciated the distance between them. It wasn't a very long table but any distance he could get, he took. Being the proud and stubborn man he is, Sasuke shrouded his hurt in anger and meanness, just so he wouldn't have to confront the feelings that had been boiling inside of him ever since that night. He made sure to give a glare every time he looked at her so that she could feel pain, just as he did three months ago. If any part of him felt guilty for doing this, he hid it very well.

Hinata didn't bother to look up for the entire meal. If she had, she knew she would've been met with the same response she had received just ten minutes ago. She was going to attempt talking to him today - nothing major, just something as simple as the weather. However, that idea was obviously out of the window with the way Sasuke was acting today.

When Sasuke was finished, he got up, put his plate into the sink, and walked back into the bedroom, slamming the door shut. The sound of the door slamming made Hinata wince but she stood up anyways, moving her plate into the sink as well.

_'He didn't even say "Thanks" today. What did I do wrong now?'_ Tears started forming in Hinata's eyes as she got the sponge to do the dishes. Lathering one plate at a time, her emotions started to get the best of her. Hinata started scrubbing each plate vigorously while fuming to herself. _'I don't understand why he's so angry. I know he didn't want this marriage at all'_. She lost track of what she was doing until she heard one of the plates crack underneath her fierce grip. Annoyed at the world at this point, Hinata dropped the sponge in the sink and plummeted herself onto the couch, not wanting to deal with such trivial things anymore.

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><p>The sound of the plate cracking resonated through the walls and it caught Sasuke's attention, hearing it all the way in the bedroom. For a moment, he thought about checking up on Hinata but decided against it, leaving the fleeting thought be. Lying down on their bed is something Sasuke did every night once he came home from training and once again after dinner. He didn't do much while lying there; he'd just keep his eyes open and think. He'd often think about his already troubled marriage and wondered to himself if there was any point of keeping it.<p>

_'She doesn't love me and I don't love her. We're both only in this for our families. She obviously is still in love with that Dobe Naruto so why should I even bother? I bet she wouldn't mind if I got a mistress. At least a mistress would say my name in bed.'_

Sasuke's thoughts about Hinata were usually harsh and mean but tonight he was even more aggravated. '_Stupid Naruto and his stupid mouth. I honestly want to kill him sometimes.'_

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><p><em>Earlier that Day…<em>

Panting from their intense training session, Naruto had slumped himself against a tree while Sasuke was standing nearby, giving him his trademark smirk. "Beat ya again Naruto. Guess you still have some work to do," Sasuke said, purposely trying to push his buttons. "Shut up Sasuke!" Naruto yelled from the ground. "I almost beat you today and you know it!" In fact, Naruto was close to defeating Sasuke today during their training session. If only he hadn't stumbled upon a rock right in front of him, he would've delivered the winning blow. Instead, Sasuke had time to recover and took that to his advantage. "Yeah, whatever. Make sure you don't trip next time dobe," Sasuke said with another smirk. Naruto got up to hit up but Sasuke simply dodged his attack, letting him fall to the ground.

"You're tired. You should rest up." Naruto simply responded with a "Hmph" and brushed himself off. "I hate to admit it but I guess you're right Sasuke," Naruto said as he started to walk away. Before walking too far, he turned around. "Hey, you wouldn't want to go get some ramen with me would ya?!" he asked, flashing his trademark cheesy grin. Normally, Sasuke would refuse and let him go by himself, but lately he'd been finding every excuse he could to stay away from his house. Rolling his eyes at his dorky former teammate, he started walking with Naruto in the direction of Ichiraku.

Surprisingly, Naruto wasn't in a rush to get to Ichiraku Ramen. In fact, he was walking at an oddly slow place. Sasuke immediately picked up Naruto's oddity and looked at him through his peripheral vision. "What's up with you? You're usually sprinting to Ichiraku at this point" Naruto looked down and kicked a rock. "Well…I dunno. I wanted some advice on something," he said, not looking up at Sasuke.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything. Naruto took the silence as permission to explain further and said "Well you see…me and the wife got into a big fight last night and now she won't talk to me. I was wondering what you do, you know, when you and Hinata get into a fight."

Hearing this, Sasuke stopped walking. He had no idea how to respond; he and Hinata never got into fights. How could they? They barely spoke to each other. Naruto stopped walking as well and looked at his comrade with concerned face. "Everything alright there?" he asked, wondering why Sasuke stopped so suddenly. Sasuke looked at Naruto and said plainly "Yeah. I'm fine." He started his pace again while Naruto remained stationary. "Teme! I asked you a question!" Naruto was a bit annoyed with his former teammate at this point. After all, he just wanted an answer to his question.

"I don't think I should be getting into your marital affairs, Naruto," Sasuke said as he continued to walk away. "I'm not asking you to get into my 'marital affairs'," Naruto scoffed at him. "I'm just asking you what you do when you get into fights with Hinata. How do you make her happy again?" "Why do you have to make her happy again?" Sasuke rebuffed. "What if it wasn't even your fault?"

"Because everyone knows that a happy wife equals a happy life" The answer to the question came out of nowhere but both Naruto and Sasuke knew who it was in an instant. They turned around to see the last member of Team 7 coming up from behind them. "Sakura?!" Naruto said in a panicky kind of tone. "How long have you been listening?!" "Long enough," the pink haired kunoichi simply stated. She turned to Sasuke with a disapproving look. "Hinata must be real happy with that attitude Sasuke." Sasuke glared at her. "What the hell are you talking about?" "I'm talking about what you just said – 'Why do you have to make her happy again? What if it wasn't even your fault?' Sound familiar?"

Sasuke rolled his eyes at Sakura. "Butt out, it's none of your business." Sakura shrugged her shoulders. "I guess not. But even if Hinata did you wrong, you and I both know that she's probably been trying to fix it somehow. At some point in time you just gotta let it go." Sasuke didn't know how to respond to that statement so he simply continued to glare at her.

After a moment or two of tension, Naruto decided to speak up. "Sakura, I just wanted to say I'm –" "Did you hear something Sasuke?" she asked, paying Naruto no mind. "Because I surely didn't." Sakura started walking past them but paused for a moment to look at Sasuke once more.

"Hinata's a good person. Try and make it work." With that, Sakura continued on her way. "Sakura wait! Come back!" Naruto started running after her, leaving the dark haired ninja all by himself. '_Good riddance. I didn't want any of that horrible ramen anyways.'_

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><p><em>Back in the bedroom…<em>

_'Why is everyone on Hinata's side? Why am I the one who's supposed to fix everything? She messed up, not me. I'm not fixing anything. If it wasn't for my mother I wouldn't be stuck in this mess.'_

_'Mother…'_

Even though both of his parents had set up the arrangement with Hinata's parents, Sasuke's mother had a special role in all of this. Hinata was originally promised to Itachi but Sasuke's mother didn't like that idea, feeling that her youngest son would be a better fit for the Hyuga's eldest daughter.

_'Honestly, what were you thinking?'_

Sasuke's mother was a kind and gentle soul towards everyone she encountered, especially towards Sasuke since Sasuke's father was more preoccupied in training with Itachi. Still, she was a strong jonin level kunoichi and was strict when she needed to be. He would never admit it out loud, but sometimes Sasuke would look at Hinata and see a bit of his mom in her.

_'I'm trying here. But I don't know how much longer I can do this.'_

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><p><strong>Uh-oh. Looks like Sasuke's at his wits end already. And we're only on chapter two! Thank you everyone who has read and commented on the story! I'm excited to see where this will go myself! I just have to defend Hinata a little bit here though - yes she did a bad thing but how do you know Sasuke's been a good husband for the duration of their marriage? I don't think Hinata's the only one to blame here (hint, hint). It is a marriage after all :P I updated this next chapter quickly but I'm not sure when the next one will be out. College started back up this week (yeah I know, such a drag) so I'll be busy but I'll make sure to write when I can! Until next time! Oh and please keep reviewing! :)<strong>


	3. Hinata's Trouble's

***I do not own Naruto* Thanks for all the reviews everyone! P.S The fact that I've gotten so many views is wild! Ahh I never imagined that many. I'm happy that so many people are along for the ride of this story! Read on :)**

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><p><span><strong>Chapter Three: Hinata's Troubles<strong>

Kiba and Shino were the best teammates a girl could ever ask for – Hinata could rely on them for anything, they protected Hinata at all costs and, best of all, they didn't ask questions unless absolutely necessary. That's why training with the two of them was something Hinata looked forward to. It was the one time of the day where her thoughts didn't get the best of her and no one was giving her glares judging her. Shino and Kiba allowed Hinata to feel free.

So when she walked to the training grounds the next day looking like she barely had gotten any sleep, neither of them asked questions. When she started her training without any warning, causing Kiba and Shino to barely dodge her attacks, they didn't say a word. It's only when she drove her first through one of the tree trunks that they decided to say something.

"Hinata?" Kiba asked cautiously. "Is everything…" He paused for a moment, afraid she might punch him at this point.

"What our friend is trying to ask is if you're alright," Shino interjected. "Why? Because you just drove your hand through that tree. Something is troubling you."

Panting heavily, Hinata looked down at her hand, finally noticing all the splinters she received from driving her hand into the tree in front of her. Her hand was severely scratched and bloodied but surprisingly, she didn't feel a thing. She looked up and cringed at the sight of the training grounds, finally noticing the damage she had down to the place. The whole entire place looked like it was a battlefield. Her legs, tired from all of the energy she exhausted, collapsed from underneath her. Kiba rushed to grab her body from hitting the ground, setting her down gently before sitting next to her.

"I'm…I'm fine," Hinata finally said, looking at the ground in front of her with an expressionless face.

Kiba raised an eyebrow disapprovingly. "Hinata don't lie to us. We're your teammates and –"

"Former teammates" Shino corrected, noting the fact that they were past the age of being in teams.

"Okay thank you Shino," Kiba said in a strained tone, shooting him a quick glare. Shino just shrugged in response as Kiba continued. "Like I was saying before, don't lie to us. We're your friends. We have been for years. Just tell us what's wrong."

"Really. I'm fine," Hinata relented softly.

"Hinata, it would be wise to tell us what's going on. It's either that or Kiba will find out for himself." Shino said, moving to stand in front of her.

"Hate to admit it but Shino's right. I'm a stubborn ass when it comes to the people I care about," Kiba said with a proud tone. Hinata couldn't help to smile a little bit when he said that. Memories of his antics while they were teammates flooded her mind, lightening her mood a bit.

Seeing that smile, Kiba smiled as well, nudging Hinata's shoulder. "There's the smile we love. Haven't seen that in a while." The smile on Hinata's face grew even bigger. Kiba always had a way of making her smile, even when she didn't want to.

"So Hinata, what did Sasuke do to trouble you like this?" Shino asked in his soft tone.

Hinata looked at Shino, surprised that he had figured out the root of her problems.

"How did you know it was about him?"

"Who else would cause you drive your hand straight through a tree?" When Shino said this, Hinata's hand began hurting, causing her to wince in pain. Shino and Kiba exchanged glances. "Maybe we should take you to the hospital to get your hand checked out," Kiba offered. Hinata simply shook her head.

"I can heal myself you know. I do have medical training."

"We know," Kiba said, standing up, lifting up Hinata bridal style in the process. "But we'd prefer someone else looking at it. Someone like Sakura."

"Kiba put me down," Hinata softly protested even though she knew he wouldn't listen to her. "I'm perfectly capable of walking by myself."

"Maybe so Hinata, but Kiba and I don't want to take the risk of you running off. It'll be good for you to see Sakura. Maybe she can help you out with your problems." Before Hinata could spout out a protest towards Shino, Kiba and him started dashing to the hospital, Hinata in tow.

'_I don't really need to see Sakura. I don't think she can help at this point.' _Hinata thought to herself. Hinata and Sakura hadn't been close friends growing up but grew close when news of her engagement to Sasuke broke to the entire town. Initially being mad at her, Sakura, along with Sasuke's other fan-girls, would make snide comments behind her back and chase her around town, chastising her. However, she soon realized that Hinata wasn't to blame for what was happening and started protecting her from the rest of Sasuke's jealous fan girls. However, the pair hadn't even spoken for a few months, mainly due to Hinata avoiding Sakura at all costs.

Finally at the hospital, Kiba and Shino took Hinata inside and requested Sakura, waiting with Hinata until she was available.

"Hinata?" Sakura said with a bright smile on her face when she saw old friend in the waiting room. "I haven't seen you in a while huh?" Noticing Kiba and Shino sitting next to her, a worried expression quickly took over her face. "Is everything all right?"

"Everything's fine," Kiba said, starting to explain. "We were just training and Hinata went a little…overboard. It's mainly her hand and while she insisted she could heal it herself, we brought her to you instead."

"Why?" Shino said, picking up where Kiba left off. "Because we thought it would be best if Hinata had a…female to talk to." Sakura gave Shino a questioning look. Kiba just shook his head, knowing his friend wasn't the best at explaining things. "What he means to say is we think this is deeper than just going overboard with training. She needs someone in her situation to talk to."

Still a bit confused on what the two meant, Sakura just smiled and sent them on their way home. She led Hinata to an examination room and began to look at Hinata's hand. "So what were those two talking about anyways?" Sakura said as she began healing Hinata's hand. Hinata stayed quiet for a bit, not really wanting to talk. Sakura picked up on this and didn't say anything more while healing her hand.

Once she was finished, she looked up at Hinata. "So what's up?" Sakura started. "I haven't seen you in months! Actually I haven't seen you since –" "I know," Hinata interjected quickly, interrupting Sakura. "I-I'm deeply sorry for that." Hinata hung her head down in shame, a habit from childhood she hadn't let go of. "I just thought you were busy."

"I was, but I wasn't always busy you know. I must've called you about 10 times. You never picked up." Silence fell between them again. Hinata couldn't deny that Sakura did call her numerous times. She just couldn't admit to Sakura that she was avoiding her phone calls like the plague.

Sakura was very patient with Hinata, more patient than anyone else she encountered. Still, the silence was getting on her nerves. "Hinata, what's bothering you?"

Hinata kept her eyes on the floor, not wanting to look up because she knew if she did, Sakura's eyes would force her to tell the truth. "Nothing's wrong," she said in a tiny voice. "I'm fine."

Sakura kept herself from rolling her eyes at this girl. Taking a deep breath, she put on a smile. "I have a break soon you know," Sakura began, looking at the clock. "Actually, it's supposed to come right now. Let's go to the bar and get lunch."

Hinata wanted to protest but when she looked up at Sakura, she knew she wouldn't take no for an answer. "A-alright Sakura."

Hinata stood up from the examination table and soon, the two of them headed down the road to the local bar. The bar, minutes away from the hospital, wasn't the best in the village. It was a bit run down and most of the people who went there where people who had nothing better to do with their lives. However, the place had became sort of a refuge for Hinata and Sakura; during the days when Sasuke's fangirls were trying to get rid of Hinata anyway they could, she and Sakura would hide in the bar, knowing those stuck-up girls wouldn't dare step foot in a place like that. Their visits became so frequent that there was a moment in time when all the regulars of the bar knew their names. They continued to come once Hinata was married but that all of that stopped months ago.

Arriving at the bar, Hinata gave it a once over, noting that nothing had changed from the last time they were there together. _'At least there's one thing in my life that hasn't changed,' _she thought to herself. Sakura and Hinata slid into one of the booths and looked over at the menus. Hinata didn't really need to look at the menu because she ordered the same thing every time, she just wanted to avoid talking to Sakura.

Hiding behind the menu, Hinata took in what was going around her – the local drunks trying to have intelligible conversation, the sound of the fryer in the back, the clinging of glasses and the faint smell of cigarette smoke hanging in the air.

"Hinata?" Sakura said, breaking the silence between them. Slowly, Hinata moved the menu away from her face. "Yes?" "The waitress is here." Looking up she saw the waitress standing there kind of impatiently. "Oh I'm sorry! Please forgive me!" Hinata rambled off her order quickly and the waitress wrote it down. Once the waitress walked away, she could feel Sakura's eyes on her. She mentally sighed and managed to make eye contact with her old friend for only the second time that day. Sakura's emerald eyes were soft and inviting, reminding Hinata of all the close talks they used to partake in.

"So besides today, how's training been going?" Sakura asked politely. She knew it was best to try to roll into the subject of what's been bothering her friend so she started with a subject that she knew Hinata would respond to.

Some of the stress went away from Hinata's fact when she heard that question. Taking a small breath, she began her answer. "It's b-been good. Shino and Kiba keep it c-challenging but I appreciate it because I-I want to get stronger." Hinata mentally scolded herself for stuttering so much. Hinata had managed to stop stuttering in normal conversation but the hindrance managed to make itself known whenever Hinata was nervous or stressed.

Sakura smiled at Hinata's answer. "That's good. I'm glad you still get to train with them often. I'm always in the hospital so I rarely get to train with Sasuke or Naruto anymore."

Sakura was about to say something more but she paused when the waitress brought their drinks out. Taking a sip from her straw, Sakura started up again. "But I love training under Lady Tsunade. She's very helpful, at least when she's not drunk."

Hinata laughed when she heard this, knowing that the Hokage was know for partaking in some Sake every now and then. Sakura smiled when she saw her friend laugh, making her feel good inside. She felt that this was a good time to inch into the subject Hinata didn't want to talk about. "Hey Hinata…speaking of Sasuke…how is he?"

Hinata's smile quickly disappeared from her face. She looked down at her drink and just stirred it with her straw. "You know, th-the weather's b-been really n-nice lately hasn't it? Maybe we should – "

"Hinata," Sakura said, breaking up Hinata's sentence. "Look at me." Hinata didn't want to but she complied anyways. She look at Sakura's face, holding her eye gaze. "Is something going on between the two of you?"

Hinata didn't say anything for a while. She tried thinking of different ways to change the subject but she knew that each way she tried, Sakura would find a way to tie it back to Sasuke.

"No," Hinata finally said meekly. Sakura frowned and Hinata realized she would have to give Sakura something for her to back off.

"We're just…having arguments right now. It'll pass."

Sakura looked at her friend with kindness in her eyes. She reached out to take Hinata's hand, holding it with support. "Every couple has their hardships. It'll get better. You know you can come to me for anything right?"

Touched by Sakura's kindness, Hinata couldn't help but tear up a bit. She began to think about all the times she would come to Sakura to talk about her new husband and her trouble trying to talk to him.

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><p><em>5 Months Ago<em>

"Hinata please stop crying. Sasuke can be a jerk sometimes," Sakura said, handing Hinata a tissue. "Believe me, I know," she added with an annoyed tone. She held Hinata's hand as she started to hiccup, trying to stop her tears from falling.

"We've been married for a month but he-he barely talks to me," Hinata managed to mumble out through her tears. "I've been trying. I really have. I try having conversations with him all the time but all he says is 'hmm', 'yes', or 'no'." Hinata dabbed at some of the tears at her face but it wasn't much use because new tears fell in their place. "I don't know what I should do."

Sakura listened to all of Hinata's words, nodding and handing her more tissues as she spoke. "Listen, I know this marriage wasn't something either of you planned but now you should make the best of it. Sasuke will warm up to you. I just know it."

_'I hope he will, for Hinata's sake at least,'_ Sakura thought to herself. _'The girl deserves at least that much.'_

"You think so?" Hinata said with a hopeful tone, her tear-stained eyes looking directly at Sakura. "I'm sure of it!" Sakura responded.

_'A little white lie never hurt anyone. Plus, maybe Sasuke will change. Hinata's the best girl in Konoha, even better than…me.'_ Sakura was still torn up about Hinata's marriage to the former love of her life but she was starting to let go, as she finally found someone who cared for her as much as she cared for Sasuke.

Hinata flashed a little smile, making Sakura smile back in return. "That's the spirit!" she said happily. "Now, let's get out of this bar. I'm sure your husband's waiting for you!" Hinata nodded, smiling again as the two walked out of the bar together.

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><p><em>'Sakura's my friend. I shouldn't avoid her. It's rude of me. And here she is, still caring about my well-being.'<em> Hinata thought to herself, bringing herself back to her current situation.

Looking at her friend in front of her, she managed to show a brave smile. "I know. And I'm sorry I-I haven't come to you lately. I didn't want to be a burden."

"Hinata, you could never be a burden to me," Sakura said gently. "You're one of my closest friends and by far the kindest. Ino-pig treats me horribly and I still call her my friend." Hinata giggled at Sakura's name for Ino even though she knew it was a bit impolite to laugh at a name like that.

"But really, please come to me for anything," Sakura continued. Like I was saying, it's normal for couples to argue. Just the other day, Naruto and I had this fight because he…"

Hearing Naruto's name with Sakura's caused Hinata to get a horrible feeling inside of her stomach. _'Now I remember why I can't be around her,'_ Hinata thought to herself. _'She managed to get the one man I ever loved…'_

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><p><em>4 Months Ago<em>

"…and then he still refused to saying anything except 'hmm' after my long story of training." Hinata and Sakura were in the bar once more and Sakura was trying to listen patiently to Hinata complaining about Sasuke once again. "Sakura, I don't think he likes me very much."

"Hinata like I said before, Sasuke will warm up to you. If anything, the fact that you're his wife gives him the obligation to care for you right?" "I guess so…" Hinata said uncertainly. "Only time will tell."

The entire time they were at the bar, Sakura had been bouncing up and down, fidgeting like crazy as if something was on her mind. Hinata had picked up on it but only bothered to say something at this moment. "Is everything alright Sakura?" she asked with a concerned tone. "You seem anxious."

Sakura looked at her friend with a big smile. "I thought you'd never ask!" she exclaimed, bringing attention to herself from onlookers in the bar. "Sorry!" she yelled to the bar patrons, who at that moment went back to their drinks and sorrows.

"Well you see…I…I…" Sakura was so excited that she couldn't get any words out. "Sakura?" Hinata said, trying to get a response from her.

Incapable of forming a complete sentence, Sakura flashed Hinata her left hand. On her ring finger was a simple, but beautiful gold ring with a nice sized diamond on it. When Hinata saw this, her eyes widened in excitement and hugged Sakura quickly. "It's beautiful! I'm so happy for you!" Hinata said happily. "I didn't know you were dating anyone!"

Sakura giggled like a little school girl. "I know. He and I weren't really public with it but now we just want the whole world to know!" Hinata couldn't get her eyes off of Sakura's ring; even though Hinata's ring was very impressive, even by Hyuga standards, the simplicity of the ring took Hinata's breath away. Even though she was the heir to the clan and treated like royalty, she never did like flashy things. Finally looking back up at her giddy friend, Hinata finally asked "So who's the lucky guy?"

As soon as Hinata asked the question, a big smile grew on Sakura's face. "I know you'll never believe it – it's Naruto!"

The mention of Naruto's name caused a lump to form in Hinata's throat. "Naruto?!" she asked in a surprised tone.

"Yeah!" Sakura said happily. "After your engagement and marriage with Sasuke happened, I was really depressed but Naruto cared for me and made sure I made it to work and training and…well…love just grew." At this point, Sakura looked like a love sick puppy – Hinata just looked sick.

"Really?" was all Hinata managed to say. She felt herself become dizzy from the news, making her fall over in her seat a bit. Sakura reached over to grab her but Hinata caught herself.

"Hinata are you okay?" Sakura said, wondering why her news had caused Hinata to faint. Situating herself, Hinata looked at Sakura. "Y-yes, I'm-I'm okay" Hinata replied softly.

"Okay good, I was worried something was wrong. Anyways, I'm so excited! I'm glad he proposed to me! I know some people might say that it's too quick but I don't care!" Looking at Sakura's face, Hinata knew that her friend was the happiest person in the world at this moment. So why did she feel so horrible?

"I really love him, Hinata. I know, I was such a jerk to him in the past but I finally realize what I've been missing. I love Naruto."

_'"I love Naruto."'_

The phrase echoed in Hinata's mind, bouncing off every inch and crevice of space she had inside of her brain until she couldn't take it anymore. Tears started flowing from her eyes. She was happy for Sakura but at the same time, she was devastated; she knew she couldn't have Naruto because of her marriage to Sasuke. Yet, she still couldn't let go of her love for him. Sasuke acting distant towards her didn't help matters either. In fact, Sasuke's actions only made Hinata wish even more that she could be with Naruto somehow. Now, that could never be. The one person she confided in, the one person who knew Sasuke almost as well as she knew herself, was marrying the only man she'd ever love. And there was nothing she could do about it.

A swirl of emotions raged inside of Hinata and it made her sick. She didn't know how to decifer any of them. Luckily for her, Sakura seemed to be oblivious to Hinata's devastating sadness. Sakura mistook Hinata's tears for tears of happiness, causing Sakura to tear up as well. She embraced Hinata tightly in a hug and said "Isn't this great Hinata?"

Hinata responded by breaking down into a current of tears.

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><p>Since that day, the only other time Hinata cried that hard was when she called Sasuke by Naruto's name. But hearing Sakura talk about Naruto brought up all of those emotions again and already, Hinata could feel the tears wanting to pour out of her. But she wasn't going to cry, not this time.<p>

"...and so I hit him right in the face and I didn't even feel bad about it. Hinata? Are you listening?" Sakura broke Hinata's thoughts finally. Hinata looked at Sakura and stood up before any tears fell. "I-I have to go. I-I'm so-sorry Sakura." Hinata started to bolt out of that restaurant like there was no tomorrow.

"Hinata wait! We haven't even eaten yet!"

She heard Sakura shout out but she didn't care. Hinata practically sprinted down the street, bumping into people with no regard for their safety but she didn't care. She didn't care about their feelings. She didn't care about Sakura's problems with Naruto. She didn't even care that she looked like a maniac at this point.

She made it to her house and did a quick scan, making sure Sasuke wasn't there. Once she knew it was clear, she locked herself in the bathroom and looked into the mirror.

_'Kami, why am I in this marriage? Why does Sakura get to be so happy when I'm so miserable? Why is she with Naruto? It's not fair. I don't love Sasuke. Sasuke doesn't love me.'_

Hinata fell to her knees and stared at the ground. Tears came pouring down and for once, Hinata didn't try to stop them. _'There's no point. I give up.'_

For the first time in her marriage, Hinata felt truly defeated.

* * *

><p><strong>I don't think I've been clear in the timeline for my story so I just wanted to get it all straightened out now: Currently, Sasuke &amp; Hinata have been married for 6 months while Sakura &amp; Naruto have been married for 3 so they were only engaged for a month before getting married. Does that clear any confusion you have? If not, tell me and I'll try to make it more clear as the story goes on! Also, I know Hinata might seem a little dramatic at this point but I did that on purpose. <strong>How would you feel if you were in that situation? <strong>The purpose of this chapter was to show why Hinata was acting the way she was that night. The next chapter will bring Hinata and Sakura back together for some interaction (reminder: I'm in college so chapters may not come as fast as I'd like them to). Anyways, thank you for reading! Please continue to review! I appreciate it :)**


	4. Realization

**Thanks for everyone who continues to read! Read on :)**

***I do no own Naruto***

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><p><strong><span>Chapter Four: Realization<span>**

"See ya later Sasuke!" Naruto called out to Sasuke as he got ready to leave. Today involved another hard but rewarding training session, leaving Naruto with a grin as always. Sasuke nodded and watched Naruto quickly sprint home again, no doubt in trouble with Sakura for something else now. Sasuke took in a deep breath as he got up from the tree he was leaning against and started walking in the opposite direction, going home himself. He looked up in the sky as he started his walk, admiring how the sky looked now that the sun was setting. The cool air of dusk started to surround him but Sasuke didn't pick up his pace; he enjoyed the cool air, anything to relieve him from the heat Kohona had been getting recently. Getting closer to his house, Sasuke thought about heading in right away but ultimately decided against it.

Sasuke spent the next hour wandering around Kohona. He passed a few people he knew along the way and nodded to them before walking on but, for the most part, people left him alone. Even though it had been a few years, some people were still not happy that Sasuke had come back to the village. While he understood why, he thought people should just mind their own business and get over themselves. Almost back to his street, Sasuke was about to round the corner when he heard the one voice he never cared to hear.

"Sasuke!" _'Damn it,' _Sasuke thought to himself. _'Where did he come from__?'_

"How are you my friend?!" The person jumped out from a bush, revealing himself to be none other than Lee.

"How long were you in that bush?" Sasuke asked, obviously annoyed.

"A couple of hours! A ninja should always be ready for attack!" Lee shouted this, his enthusiasm for life never-failing.

Sasuke started to walk away, not wanting to engage with pleasantries with him any longer. "Sasuke wait! How is Hinata?!" Sasuke just shrugged, not bothering to stop his pace.

"I hope your marriage is well!" Lee cried out as Sasuke walked away. "May your marriage be forever youthful and may it produce youthful young ones!"

_'This guy is ridiculous' _Sasuke rolled his eyes to himself as he finally got to his house. He unlocked the front door and walked in.

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><p>When Sasuke came home , he expected the same thing he always got: a clean house, the aroma of a hot dinner cooking, and a wife who didn't love him. However, he opened the door and found none of the above. <em>'Where is she?'<em> he asked himself in his mind. An uneasy feeling most would interpret as worry washed upon him but he quickly waved that away.

Sasuke walked down the corridor that lead to his bedroom and opened the door. He stepped foot in the room and found Hinata sitting on the bench in front of their chest of drawers, staring straight into the mirror. Sasuke looked at her and he knew she could feel his presence.

"H-hi" Hinata said softly, turning to face Sasuke. Hinata tried to hold her head up but it wavered due to everything held inside of it. Sasuke only nodded in response to her. He put his training bag down on the floor before turning around to leave, only to be stopped by the next words he heard.

"Sasuke…I-I'm sorry," the meek kunoichi said quietly. Sasuke didn't turn around, not knowing how to react. He had waited for those words for three months and now that he heard them, he didn't know what to do.

"I'm sorry. F-for the w-way I a-acted that day. The day of…Naruto's wedding." Sasuke listened, still standing in the doorway.

"I've b-been trying to make it up to you ever s-since that d-day." _'Curse this awful stuttering,' _Hinata thought to herself. "B-but I-I just realized now that I…never said I'm sorry. That makes me an awful person."

Indeed, Hinata felt truly sorry. After her breakdown, she cleaned herself up and moved into the bedroom to clear her mind and think. It was something she hadn't let herself do in a while and felt that her current situation seriously called for it.

Sasuke stayed standing at the door. As always, his face was emotionless. _'So you're sorry…so what? Why should I care?'_

Once again, Sasuke prepared to leave before Hinata started to speak again. "B-but you should know why I-I…did what I did that night. W-why I-I…called out Naruto's name."

The mention of the incident caused a pain to shoot through Sasuke's body but he didn't show it on his face. He slowly turned around and faced Hinata, his black eyes staring into her lavender ones. His stare sent a shiver down Hinata's spine; she didn't know whether to interpret it as one of fear or arousal.

"I haven't b-been the best wife. I-I know that. But you haven't been the best husband either." Hinata paused, wondering if Sasuke was going to say something. His stare never faltered but his mouth didn't open so she continued.

"You're cold Sasuke," Hinata said bluntly, something that truly shocked Sasuke. He didn't know his wife had it in her to be so brutally honest with people. "You'd leave me alone for days on end, making me worry about you endlessly. Then, you'd come back and not speak to me at all. I tried speaking to you about anything – the weather, training, even Sakura."

_"Sakura is annoying as hell. That's the reason I-"_

"But you ignored me," Hinata continued, interrupting Sasuke's inner thoughts. "You ignored me. And it hurt." Hinata, still afraid of Sasuke's glare, had gained enough confidence to lose her speech impediment, something Sasuke took note of.

"I even tried connecting with you in other ways…physical ways…and you ignored me every time."

Sasuke couldn't deny anything that was coming out of Hinata's mouth; he had ignored her and he had to admit he was distant – that was just the way he was. Even thouugh Hinata continued to talk, her mention of his denial of physical intimacy elicited a memory in his head. He tuned out Hinata's words as the memory began to play out in his mind.

* * *

><p><em>"Sasuke...it's late. Come to bed." Hinata and he were sitting on their couch. She had just finished reading a novel while he was meditating quietly. "You go. I'm not tired yet." Sasuke had said simply, not bothering to open his eyes. Hinata looked at him and touched his hand. "Sasuke...please." Sasuke opened his eyes at her touch. There was a glint in Hinata's eyes that Sasuke picked up on and immediately he knew what she wanted. <em>_"Hinata, go to bed. You're tired." _

_Hinata didn't listen. Instead, she moved closer towards him, inching until she was right up next to him. Her face blushed and she moved herself so that she was sitting on top of Sasuke, straddling his hips. "Sasuke...I-I..." She looked at him with so much wanting. Sasuke felt the heat between them and lost his concentration. Hinata had hinted at this for weeks but Sasuke pretended to be oblivious, hoping that she would get discourage. He looked at his wife and realized that she was more determined than ever. Hinata moved her head closer to her husband's, inching closer and closer. Sasuke began to lose his composure, leaning towards Hinata as well. The bold Hinata turned him on and it was difficult to ignore that feeling. However, he managed to stop midway before their lips touched. Looking away from her, he lifted her off his body, placing her on the cushion she was on before._

_"Go to bed," he said distantly. "You're tired."_

_He didn't look back in her direction to know she had left. His only indications were the sounds of footsteps and suppressed sniffling as she walked away sadly towards their bedroom._

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><p>"But the thought of Naruto always made me happier." Hinata's mention of Naruto made Sasuke snap back into the conversation. "He makes everyone he talks to feel important and he helps others get stronger – he's helped <em>me<em> get stronger. So when he decided to marry Sakura, it crushed me. A tiny part of me always thought he'd come rescue me from this loveless marriage but reality made it clear that would never happen."

"So that night, I wanted comfort. When I kissed you, I knew it was you. I knew it was you who was making me feel better. But my mind always associated Naruto with happiness so unconsciously…I said his name."

After she had finished explaining herself, a heavy silence fell in the room. Hinata was thinking about what else to say while Sasuke was just trying to take everything in. Finally, Hinata stood up from the bench and walked over to Sasuke. She didn't get too close to him, but close enough to make him turn around to face her. "Sasuke…do you want this marriage at all?"

Sasuke knew the answer to this immediately but didn't answer right away. "No," Sasuke finally uttered, his eyes on Hinata. Hinata looked down again; the words coming from Sasuke's mouth weren't surprising to her at all but it still made her hurt inside for some reason. Hinata sighed and nodded. "Right," she said softly. "Then maybe we should…not be married anymore."

Hinata's suggestion truly surprised Sasuke. His inflated ego expected her to be begging on her hands and knees to stay with her. He knew that this marriage was important to both of their families and Hinata's father would be furious at her if she messed this up.

"You mean get a divorce?" Sasuke asked, eyes still fixated on her.

She nodded, finally looking up at Sasuke once more. "Y-yes."

"Uchias don't give up on a promise." The words came out of Sasuke's mouth in a matter-of-fact tone, as if Hinata should've known this from the beginning. Sasuke finally left the room and headed towards the living room to sit on the couch. Hinata followed him and sat on the couch next to him, leaving much space between the two of them.

"Hyugas don't give up on promises either you know," Hinata started softly. "But look at us – we're not in love." The sad tone in Hinata's voice was clear but Sasuke didn't respond to it.

"People will start to wonder soon why we're never seen together in public. Or why, when we're together, we don't seem happy. Eventually people will start to ask...why we don't have children."

Sasuke mentally sighed. He knew Hinata had a point but his stubbornness and pride was still burning inside of him. "We're not getting divorced" Sasuke said in a low tone.

"If you're worried about blame, people won't blame you. They'll blame me. Everyone always blames me and you can just find ano –"

"We are NOT getting a divorce." Sasuke said this with such fierceness that it caused Hinata to gasp and jump back in her seat.

"I-I-I…" Hinata started but didn't finish. She was too afraid to say anything at this point. Tears formed in her eyes and she stood up. "I'm s-sorry Sasuke. I-I j-just thought this is what you wanted. I know you hate me." Hinata started to walk away, ashamed in herself that she had messed up once again.

"I don't hate you." Hinata paused when she heard the voice call out behind her. She turned around to look at Sasuke. "Y-you don't?" she asked so quietly that Sasuke strained to hear her.

"No."

"But you don't love me either."

"No."

"Then what are we?"

Sasuke just stared at Hinata, keeping his composure. He had wondered the same thing ever since the pair married. The fact that both shared the same thoughts made Sasuke realize that they might have something in common after all.

Sasuke looked towards the window in their living room. "Look, my mother wanted this for me. The least I can do is follow her wish." He looked towards Hinata and saw that she still had that same look in her eyes, causing him to give a disinterested one back. "You wouldn't understand."

"I-I do." Hinata inched forward from the corridor. "My father wants this for me as well. He think it's the best way I can redeem myself in the eyes of the clan." A teardrop fell from Hinata's eyes.

"Even after all this time, everyone thinks I'm a disappointment."

Sasuke hated when Hinata teared up or started crying. He never knew what to do and he hated feeling useless. "Hinata look," Sasuke started as she wiped away the stray tear. "You're not a disappointment. The fact that you married me for your family shows that you're dedicated to them."

"Y-you think so Sasuke?" Hinata asked quietly but with a more cheerful tone that before. Sasuke just nodded in response. Even though the response wasn't verbal, it made Hinata feel better.

"Thank you Sasuke." Hinata felt like hugging him to show her appreciation but she knew that wasn't appropriate. At that same moment, her stomach started to growl and she realized that it was long past dinnertime. She scurried into the kitchen with warning to start cooking quickly. Sasuke raised an eyebrow in her direction, wondering why she was working so quickly.

In just 30 minutes, Hinata had managed to make Sasuke's favorite meal and set the table. When Sasuke saw the meal, he looked at Hinata who was still in the kitchen cleaning up a bit. "What's the special occasion?" he asked skeptically.

"I just wanted to say thanks for your kind words earlier. They meant a lot." A soft blush appeared on Hinata's face, which Sasuke noticed. He smirked, the closest thing to a smile, he ever did and said "No problem."

They sat down at the table together and ate in silence as usual. However, the silence today wasn't stiff or uncomfortable. Rather, the silence was relaxed and casual.

Sasuke looked up from his meal for a moment and looked at Hinata. He started to take notice of the way she ate her meal; her hands moved delicately whenever she moved some food to her mouth and no bite was too big for her to chew, clear signs that the royal training she received as a child remained with her.

Hinata looked up and caught Sasuke staring at her again, making her blush. "Yes Sasuke?" she asked, wondering why he was looking at her like that. Sasuke quickly refocused his gazed so that he didn't look so fixed on her features. "Nothing. I was just thinking."

"Hmm, about what?" she responded before taking another part of her food.

"Maybe you're right. We shouldn't really be together should we?"

Now it was Hinata's turn to give Sasuke a questioning glance. _'Just an hour and a half ago you were adamant about not divorcing. Now you want to leave?'_

Sasuke picked up on Hinata's glance and explained himself. "We both did this for our families but what did we get in return? Nothing. It's only right that we're fair to each other."

Hinata thought for a minute, putting her utensils down. "So you want a divorce now?" she asked, not really knowing where he was going with his words.

"No," Sasuke said simply. "It would be too much hassle to do that. My plan is this – we continue living in the same house, just to save face, but we live independently of each other."

Hinata took in Sasuke's words and digested them for a minute before responding. "You want us to be like…r-roommates then?"

Sasuke shrugged. "I guess you could call it that." Sasuke didn't really know how to label this arrangement that he was proposing. He had thought about what Hinata said ever since she had mentioned it; even though he didn't want a divorce, creating this arrangement would give him the freedom to do what he wanted while saving face, which had been especially important to him ever since he came back to the village and couple years ago. Sasuke wanted to prove he wasn't going to betray the village again but at the same time, he didn't want to be tied down to someone he had no feelings for. So Sasuke decided to take Hinata up on at least part of her offer – it was her idea in the first place anyways.

"Okay," Hinata said quietly as she kept her eyes on him. "We should lay some ground rules then."

_'Oh this I gotta hear…' _Sasuke thought to himself, wondering what Hinata could come up with.

"I get the bedroom and you get the spare, we take turns cooking and cleaning, I'm not in charge of your laundry anymore and –" Hinata paused before she finished what she had to say. Sasuke gave her a look, indicating to her to go on. Hinata took a deep breath.

"And if you fall in love with a-anyone else…you have to leave."

The words that came out of Hinata's mouth were harder to say out loud than she thought. She knew there was no chance for them becoming a successful couple but she knew that everyone should be with the person they love.

"I don't want to s-stand in the way of true love. Everyone deserves that in their life."

"A-and you wouldn't have to w-worry about the blame from people," Hinata stuttered out, repeating herself from earlier on in their conversation. "T-they would blame me. But that's okay, I can take it." She tried to manage to fake a smile after the last part of her statement but Sasuke saw right through her façade.

_'She seriously would put up with all the hate from the village if I left her for another woman because she believes in true love? Hinata really does think of others before herself. A bit foolish if you ask me.' _

Sasuke took in her words while thinking to him, still keeping his gaze from before. He finally responded, holding out his hand towards her. She looked at it for a minute until she recognized what he wanted to do. She slowly brought her hand from her sides and brought it to meet his. "There – it's a deal" Sasuke said as they shook hands. "Right" Hinata responded.

Their hands separated and they looked around the room for a while, not knowing what to do next. Sasuke then suddenly stood up and started to clear the table. "I got it," he said, not even looking at Hinata but knowing the questioning glance she must've been giving him. Hinata watched him walk off into the kitchen while she stayed seated at the table.

_'Well, I guess this is a new beginning.'_

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><p><strong>What will happen to our couple now? Well I guess you'll just have to wait and see :) Please leave reviews! I read them all and take them into consideration when writing a new chapter. P.S I made this chapter shorter cause the last one was just way too long haha. P.P.S Yes the beginning might be random but I wanted interaction with other people so I made it happen :P Until next time! ~lovelyangelxox<strong>


	5. Something There

***I do not own Naruto* **3,000 hits? That's exciting :) ****

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><p><strong><span>Chapter 5: Something There<span>**

"Sakura-chan do you really need this many clothes?" Hinata had her arms full of clothes that Sakura was pulling off of the hangers left, right and center. Sakura just looked at her with an exasperated expression.

"Hinata have you not heard a word I've said since we got here?"

_'How could I not? You've been talking non-stop for the past 45 minutes.' _Earlier that morning, Sakura had gone to Hinata's house and literally dragged her out to go shopping. Sakura wanted to find a nice outfit for her and Naruto's 4 month anniversary.

_'I didn't even know people celebrated such anniversaries.' _

Not waiting for a response, Sakura took Hinata's arm and pulled her into the dressing room. The force Sakura used almost caused Hinata to drop some of the clothes, for which Sakura apologized.

"I'm sorry Hinata," the pinkette said. "I'm just really anxious. I just want tonight to be special." Hinata nodded, understanding her behavior.

"It will be special Sakura; don't worry. I'm sure Naruto will love anything you pick out." Hinata had gotten to the point where mentioning Naruto's name didn't make her stumble over her words. In fact, her feelings for him had all but diminished at this point; spending so much time with Sakura made her realize that Naruto was happy with his wife and that there was no use pining over someone she can't have. Still, she wished she could feel the same way about her own husband.

Sakura took the pile of clothes from Hinata's arms and walked into one of the changing stalls. "You're right Hinata, I shouldn't be stressing so much." Sakura quickly changed and came out, showing off an emerald dress that matched her eyes.

"It's very pretty Sakura-chan," Hinata said with a smile. She admired Sakura's body as Sakura examined herself in the mirror. She then looked down at her own body and sighed. Hinata knew she had features other girls would die for but she just felt so awkward in her own body. She didn't like that her breasts were larger than most and she hated the fact that her hips made her look so curvy.

"Hmm thank you Hinata. But I think I should get something else. I look girlish in this one." Comments like that made Hinata want to strangle Sakura sometimes.

_'If I had her body I'd wear that type of outfit all the time! Kami, why did you give me such an awkward body?'_

Hinata hugged herself softly as Sakura changed into her next outfit. "What plans do you and Naruto have for tonight?" she asked curiously.

"Nothing big," Sakura said from her stall. "I think I'm just going to cook him his favorite meal." Sakura came out, now wearing a bright red dress.

"Ugh I don't like this one either. What do you think?" She turned to Hinata and Hinata looked her over. "Well…to be honest…the red clashes with your hair a bit." Hinata said this softly, afraid she might offend her friend.

Sakura quickly looked in the mirror again and realized that Hinata was right. She made a face at herself. "Curse my pink hair. It makes everything more difficult." Going back into the stall for the third time, Hinata decided to continue their conversation.

"So since you said you were making his favorite meal, that means you're making him ramen?" Hinata said this with a giggle. Everyone and their mother knew that Naruto ate ramen like there was no tomorrow. Sakura giggled from her stall as well.

"Well…yeah," Sakura burst into more laughter. "I can't help it if that's what my man likes." Sakura came out for the third time, now wearing a sleek black dress. Hinata smiled when Sakura walked up to the mirror.

"This is it," they said at the same time. Sakura turned to grin at Hinata and Hinata smiled back at her.

"Two great minds think alike," Sakura said as she turned in the mirror. "It's a shame that it's so nice though. Naruto probably won't let me keep this on for too long." Sakura giggled softly to herself. Hinata, however, blushed like mad, the red hue covering her entire face. Sakura looked at Hinata and shook her head.

"Gosh Hinata, you've been married to Sasuke for 7 months and you still act like you're a virgin."

_'If only you knew Sakura. If only you knew…' _

Hinata didn't say anything in response. Instead, she just looked down at her feet, the blush still covering her face. Sakura studied her friend for a minute. She went back into the stall and grabbed the red dress she had tried on and shoved it in Hinata's face. "You're trying this on. Now."

Hinata took one look at the dress and quickly shook her head. The dress was floor length, flowed and had an elegant feel to it, but the sweetheart neckline made her nervous. Normally a sweetheart neckline wouldn't make a women appear to have too much cleavage but Hinata knew her breasts. "Sakura I can't try this on!" Hinata blushed even more, her face turning the color of the dress.

"Yes you can and you will!" Sakura pull Hinata up and pushed her into the dressing room stall. "You can't come out until I see you in that dress!"

Hinata groaned, knowing there was no point arguing with Sakura. "Wait!" Hinata poked her head out of the dressing room stall. "Could you possibly get me a bigger size? I don't think it'll fit." Hinata looked down in embarrassment, continually cursing her figure. Sakura nodded without saying a word. She quickly entered the store again and came back with the red dress in Hinata's size. "Here ya go Hinata," Sakura said, holding out the dress with her hand. Hinata stuck her hand out of the door and grabbed the dress from Sakura. "T-thank you," she said softly.

She quickly shed off her jacket and other clothes and pull the dress over her head. She looked down at herself self consciously. _'I can't wear this! I look horrible!' _

"Hinata, I'm waiting!" Sakura called out from the door of the stall. Hinata sighed and walked out of the stall, walking up to the mirror. "Well, just tell me how ugly it looks so I can put on my regular clothes" Hinata said softly.

Sakura was looking at Hinata's body with her mouth wide open. "Hinata are you kidding me?! You're freaking gorgeous!"

And gorgeous Hinata was. The red color of the dress went well against her pale skin and dark hair. The dress showed every curve of her body quite nicely. However, as Hinata expected, the dress also showed off a lot more cleavage than she liked.

"T-thank you Sakura," Hinata said half-heartedly, not really believing Sakura's words. "Hinata look at yourself!" Sakura exclaimed. She went behind Hinata, held her shoulders and forced her to look into the mirror. "You really are beautiful."

Hinata looked at herself in the mirror, slowly realizing she didn't look half bad. "M-maybe you're right," Hinata said with a soft giggle. "Thanks Sakura."

"No problem. I bet when Sasuke sees you in this, he won't be able to keep his hands off of you!" Sakura said this with a naughty grin, which made Hinata go back to blushing.

"Come on, let's change and get out of here. I'm buying that dress for you."

Hinata quickly shook her head. "No Sakura, that's too kind. You can't-"

"I already said I would Hinata. You can't make me change my mind." Hinata nodded, knowing this all too well. "Just think of it as a 7 month anniversary present."

_'Really, do people celebrate 7 months?'_

After changing and checking out of the store, Sakura and Hinata hit the street, each with a bag in tow. Sakura took a quick look at her watch and panicked. "Is that the time?!" Sakura looked at Hinata with a sorry expression. "I'm sorry Hinata, I have to go! I have to clean, cook dinner and –"

"It's okay," Hinata interrupted with a soft smile. "I understand."

Sakura leaped and gave Hinata a big hug before running off towards her house. "Don't worry, I'll tell you every single detail about it later!" she shouted as she ran off, making Hinata blush softly to herself.

"Sakura's really comfortable telling me these things," she said softly to herself. Hinata started to walk slowly down the road, bag in tow.

* * *

><p>Hinata looked around her and took in all the sights around town. Everything about the town made her smile with happiness as she walked by; The children playing in the streets made her think of her childhood, making her wish she had more free time to play while the noises of the hustle of bustle of people moving made her calm. Hinata even said hi to the street vendors, knowing most of them one way or another.<p>

Halfway home, Hinata heard a very familiar bark. Before she could react, a big white flash pounced on her, licking her ferociously, meanwhile knocking her bag out of her hand. "Hi Akamaru," Hinata said, giggling through the licks.

"Akamaru, what did I say about attacking Hinata like that?" Kiba quickly came to Hinata's aid, pulling Akamaru off of Hinata's body. He helped Hinata get off from the ground and picked up her shopping bag as well. "I'm sorry, he's just excited to see you."

"But he just saw me yesterday Kiba-kun" Hinata smiled and petted the friendly dog. "Yeah well what can I say? Akamaru's always had a thing for pretty girls." Kiba flashed his toothy smile at Hinata, making her laugh and blush.

"You shouldn't be such a flirt Kiba. You already make all the girls in town go crazy."

"Tell me about it," Kiba said sighing. "Ino's been chasing me for weeks and she still hasn't stopped."

"She's a nice girl. Why don't you date her?" Kiba shrugged. "She's not my type."

"I didn't know you had a type," Hinata said simply. "Everyone has a type Hinata," Kiba rebutted.

"Well, hopefully you'll find this 'type' soon so she can tame your wild ways." Hinata giggled and Kiba just smiled softly next to her. "Here's your bag," Kiba said, handing it to her. As he did, he saw a glipse of red and he looked at Hinata with a suspicious look.

"Since when do you wear red?" he asked curiously. Hinata blushed softly. "Since Sakura bought this dress for me. I'm never going to wear it."

"Why not? Doesn't that husband of yours take you anywhere?"

Hinata shook his head. "He's too busy…he trains a lot." Hinata had to come up with some excuse. It was easier than saying that she and Sasuke basically lived as roommates. "Plus, I don't like the dress all that much."

Kiba looked at Hinata. "I bet you look great in that dress and you're just too modest to admit it. Plus, if that Uchiha is too busy to take you out, he doesn't know what he's missing."

Hinata smiled politely at Kiba. He had always said such things to make her feel better about herself. "Thank you Kiba. You're a great friend."

Kiba smiled back, wrapping his arm around Hinata's shoulder. "That's what I'm here for!" Hinata softly blushed at Kiba's touch but didn't think much of it. It was just in Kiba's nature to be friendly like that.

"So where are you off to?" Kiba asked curiously. "Oh, I'm just going home." "Let me and Akamaru walk you there. It's getting a bit dark."

In all honesty, it wasn't that dark at all but Hinata didn't deny his request. She enjoyed Kiba's and Akamaru's company. She and Kiba talked the rest of the way to Hinata's house. By the time Hinata had reached the front door, she was laughing the hardest she had in months.

"Kiba thank you so much. I really needed that laugh today" She leaned over and gave Kiba a hug. Kiba smiled, loving the fact he made Hinata laugh today. "Anytime, hime-chan." Hinata groaned softly at the nickname. She didn't like it too much but still allowed Kiba to call her that from time to time.

Kiba started to walk away but turned around really quickly. "Hey Hinata, I know this is short notice but... remember how you said you didn't have anywhere to wear that dress?"

Hinata nodded and Kiba continued. "Well, would you like to wear it tonight?"

Hinata looked at Kiba strangely. "What do you mean?" she asked.

"My clan's having a bit of a party tonight. Somebody just got married so we're having a celebration. I'd love it if you came!" Hinata smiled at Kiba's request but thought about it for a minute.

"Did you invite Shino-kun too?" Kiba nodded. "Yeah, but whether or not he'll show up is kinda iffy. He's not really the social type you know."

Hinata nodded. "Yes, I know all too well."

"Maybe if I tell him you're coming, he'll come along too." Kiba was in fact lying; he hadn't even thought of inviting his other teammate at all. He knew Hinata needed to have fun and he wanted to be the person who provided it for her.

"Okay," Hinata said with a smile. "I'll go."

"Great!" Kiba said excitedly. "I'll pick you up at 8!"

"See you then!" Hinata said with a smile. Kiba and Akamaru dashed off down the street and Hinata opened the door to her house, walking in with a smile.

* * *

><p>Hinata looked at the clock when she walked through her front door. <em>'Hmm, 3 o'clock. I still have time.' <em>

She looked around the living room, considering what to do with her free time. Since she and Sasuke agreed to live as roommates, Hinata cut back on what she did around the house, which wasn't too hard considering Sasuke was a reasonably tidy person. She walked to her bedroom to put her shopping bag down. She then walked through the kitchen, still thinking about what she could do with her free time.

_'I could watch TV," _Hinata thought to herself. _'But there's nothing good on at this time of the day.' _Hinata looked into the sink and saw that there were some dishes that needed to be clean. By force of habit, she started to push her sleeves up in preparation to clean them but stopped herself before she grabbed the sponge. "It's Sasuke's day to do them," she said to herself as she forced herself to walk away from the pile. She made it about five steps out of the kitchen before she came back to quickly clean the dishes in the sink.

Hinata looked at the now clear sink and smiled to herself. _'I know it was Sasuke's turn but I can't stand a dirty sink. But I still don't know what to do…' _Hinata sighed and looked out of the kitchen window, overlooking the big backyard. Most of the backyard was commandeered by Sasuke and his training equipment, which he hadn't used in a while. However, Hinata had a part of the backyard that she claimed all to herself. She smiled as she looked at the sprouting plants coming from the brown soil.

"I guess I have some time to check on my garden." Hinata went into her bedroom and changed into her gardening clothes, brown pants with an old t-shirt shirt and a wide brim hat. She then went outside and started to tend to her garden. Hinata's garden was her pride and joy; she took comfort in the fact that every single bit of work she put into it would always lead to something plenty and beautiful. This season, Hinata decided to plant lavenders. She did this in honor of her mother; lavender plants always reminded Hinata of her mother because they were her favorite plants to tend to in the garden.

Hinata took great care of her plants, taking a good amount of time to water them while making sure pesky weeds would stay away. Taking in a whiff of the beautiful aroma, Hinata smiled to herself. _'I could do this for hours…' _She thought to herself. Finally satisfied with her work, she went back inside of her house. Her light and happy mood soon turned into worry when she realized what time it was.

"7:00?! Oh no! I don't have that much time to get ready! Kiba will be here in an hour!" Hinata quickly dashed off to her bedroom, removing her clothes before heading into the bathroom to take a shower. She had to rush with washing her hair, not having the amount of time she would've liked to clean it thoroughly. She quickly finished with her shower and wrapped a towl around her hair and her frame, running into her bedroom once more.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, Sasuke was on the way home from the Hokage's office. He went to Lady Tsunade to see if there were any available missions for him to take since he was tired of training with Naruto. Unfortunately, the Hokage wasn't in the best mood when Sasuke came in and told him that there weren't any missions for him to take, except for one with Sai. Sasuke declined that offer right quick; he'd rather stay in Kohona than go on a mission with his sad excuse of a replacement.<p>

When Sasuke came through the front door of the house, his stomach automatically rumbled as he turned on the lights. It had been a month since their agreement but Sasuke's stomach still longed for Hinata's home cooking every night. Even though he knew that it was his turn to figure out dinner plans, he still checked out the kitchen to see if anything had been made.

_'Damn. Nothing. At least I don't have to do the dishes.' _ Sasuke smirked when he saw the empty sink. He didn't mind cleaning up around the house but he despised doing the dishes. He knew Hinata couldn't stand a dirty sink so he knew if he held off long enough into the day, they would be done for him.

Sasuke's stomach grumbled again and he sighed. He decided on the best thing he could get for dinner at this time of night: Pizza. He grabbed a jacket and was about to head out when he remembered that Hinata must be somewhere in the house.

"Hinata?" he called out, not knowing where she was exactly. "I'm going to get pizza. Do you want any?"

Sasuke waited a few moments before he heard the sound of the bedroom door opening. He watched as a silhouette emerged from the dark hallway. When he was faced with the beauty in front of him, his eyes practically widened, something Sasuke never did.

_'Wow...is this Hinata?' _He asked himself in disbelief. _'This cannot be her.' _

Hinata stood in the light of the living room in front of him. She was wearing the red dress Sakura bought her earlier that day, which accentuated all of her womanly features, along with simple black heels and a matching purse. Her hair was down and completely dry, even though she had just gotten out of the shower not too long ago. She also donned simple but flawless diamond stud earrings. She looked down at the ground and shyly tucked some hair behind her ear. She still didn't feel comfortable in the dress and the fact that she could feel Sasuke's eyes searing into her didn't make matters any better.

"I don't want any pizza," she finally said, looking up from the ground slowly. "But thanks for the offer."

Sasuke couldn't take his eyes off of her. Never had he seen Hinata like this before. Even on their wedding day she didn't look like this. He wanted to walk over and touch her silky porcelain skin to see if it really was her standing in front of him.

"Sasuke?" Hinata looked at Sasuke with concern. "Are you okay?" Hinata took Sasuke's weird behavior personally. "Do you think it looks bad?" Hinata self-consciously looked at her outfit, mentally going over whether she should be wearing this.

"I…I just…have you always had that dress?" Sasuke failed to find his words at the beginning of his sentence which shocked him quite a bit.

_'Get a grip of yourself. Uchiha's don't stumble like this.' _Sasuke took a deep breath and took a long blink, trying to contain himself.

Hinata shook her head. "No, Sakura bought it for me today when we went shopping. I didn't want it but she insisted on buying it."

_'I can see why…' _Sasuke thought to himself. His mind was beginning to travel to places it hadn't been before. The feelings stirring inside of him confused him and he didn't like that at all.

"Going any place special?" Sasuke tried to sound uninterested as possible, trying to keep his cool in front of Hinata. _'Since when do I care where she goes?' _

"Well, yes actually. You see, K-" The doorbell rang and Sasuke looked at Hinata curiously. Since he was closest to the door, he moved to open it. When he saw Kiba in a suit standing in front of the screen door, his facial expression turned into one of distaste.

"What are you doing here?" He asked with a bit of venom in his tone. Kiba rolled his eyes at Sasuke; he had never been one to put up with Sasuke's attitude.

"I'm here to pick up Hinata of course." Kiba moved himself so he could see around Sasuke and caught a glipse of her. He smiled as she moved closer to the door, giving him more of a look at her beautiful figure.

"Wow! Hinata you look great!" Kiba flashed his toothy grin, which made Hinata giggle in reply. "Thank you Kiba." Akamaru, who was standing a couple feet from the door barked with a smile. "And thank you too Akamaru." Sasuke shot a look at Hinata and she turned to him to finish explaining.

"Like I was saying, Kiba's picking me up so we can go to a party at his clan's compound; somebody just got married. He invited Shino too."

_'Shit, I forgot I said that,'_ Kiba thought to himself. "Where is Shino anyways?" Hinata asked softly. "Actually, about that…he said he couldn't come. He's not feeling too well."

"Really?" Hinata asked in bewilderment. "In all the time I've known him, he's never been sick. Maybe we should go and check on him."

Kiba quickly shook his head no. "Nah, I'm sure he's fine. Plus, I'm sure he wouldn't want us to miss all the fun. Come on, let's go!" Kiba opened the screen door and outstretched his hand, waiting for Hinata to take a hold of it.

Sasuke was still standing in between them and wasn't budging. Hinata tapped Sasuke softly on his shoulder. He looked at her and moved without a word, letting Kiba take her hand. "I'll be back soon, don't worry." She gave him a reassuring smile. Hinata picked up that Sasuke was bothered by something but she didn't know what exactly, her naïvety getting the best of her.

Kiba allowed her to walk off first, leaving Kiba and Sasuke alone for a minute. Sasuke gave Kiba a death glare. "I don't know what game you're trying to play here Inuzuka, but I suggest you back off," said Sasuke harshly, wanting to beat the pulp out of Kiba already. He knew that Kiba was up to something. Hinata was too innocent to see it but Sasuke saw right through his plan.

Kiba just smirked in response. "I have no idea what you're talking about _buddy_," he started. Kiba was loving that the situation was ruffling Sasuke's feathers. Anything he could do to annoy him he did so with great passion. He turned his back to the door. "Oh, don't wait up." At this, Kiba smirked even more before walking to catch up with Hinata, who was standing by Akamaru.

_'You don't deserve her Uchiha and she's been unhappy for months. I've always cared for her. Tonight, I'm going to show her how I feel.' _Hinata linked arms with Kiba as they started off, already laughing together about something Kiba had mentioned.

Sasuke watched them walk away until he could no longer see them. He then closed the front door, gripping the handle so tightly that he left an indent in it.

"I don't care what Kiba does with her. She's not my concern. She's never been my concern." Sasuke started talking to himself as he slowly paced up and down the living room.

"She's free to do what she wants. I don't care." Sasuke picked up his pace a bit.

"All I know is that if that Inuzuka tries to take one pass at my wife I'm gonna –" Sasuke stopped himself mid-sentence, also stopping his pace at the same time.

_'Wife?' _he thought to himself. _'Sure, technically we're still married but she's not my wife. She's just my roommate. Exactly. Just my roommate.' _If Hinata was just his roommate, why did he feel this way?

Sasuke slumped down on the couch, trying to digest these new feelings. They had come out of nowhere. Until this point, Sasuke convinced himself that they didn't exist. The image of Hinata in her dress kept popping up in his mind. His mind couldn't even handle just how flawless she looked. _'How did I overlook that for 7 months?' _

The good feelings overwhelming his body were suddenly overshadowed by the thought of Kiba taking Hinata – his wife – out looking like that. Sasuke grumbled to himself. He was jealous and he hated it, especially since Hinata was going out with a person he didn't really care for.

Hinata never dressed up like that for him. Why was Kiba so special to get this treatment? _'Did I ever offer to take her out?' _Sasuke questioned himself, making him think back on the last seven months. Anger started boiling inside of him. He was mostly angry at himself but decided to direct it at a more appealing target.

"Kiba's up to no good…" Sasuke growled in a low tone. "And I'm going to stop him."

All of Sasuke's other emotions flew out of the window, leaving only one clear-cut feeling – rage. Sasuke sprung up from the couch and quickly grabbed his keys, forgetting to grab a jacket as he slammed the front door behind him.

Sasuke was on a mission. And nobody could stop him.

* * *

><p><strong>Kiba's trying to make a move on Hinata! Oh no! And do I detect some jealousy there Sasuke? :) I have to thank robotchick for her suggestion for Sasuke to get jealous over Hinata and another guy. Before I finish I chapter, I like to already know where the next chapter was going but when I started this one, I had no direction. But writer's block was cured by a review! Thank you all for reading my story! There's more to come! Review please! I'd really appreciate it :)<strong>


	6. Caught Deep

**In honor of my University's snow day (the first one since the 70s), I'm updating early! Hopefully everyone enjoys it! **

***I do not own Naruto***

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><p><strong><span>Chapter 6: Caught Deep<span>**

Hinata, Kiba and Akamaru arrived to the party right when it hit full swing. Everybody in the Inuzuka complex was having a good time, sharing laughs and drinks with everyone they saw.

"Kiba there you are!" a voice called out. Hinata turned to see Hana, Kiba's older sister, approaching the two of them. Hana looked nice tonight; she decided to take a break from her usual clothes and was wearing a long one-shoulder purple dress. Hinata thought the color complimented her features nicely. "I've been looking for you!" She turned to Hinata and smiled. "Hi Hinata. I haven't seen you in a while."

Hinata gave her shy smile. "It's nice to see you too Hana." Hana looked around the area quickly before looking back at Hinata's face. "Hey, where's that guy of yours? The Uchiha. Shouldn't he be here with you?"

The mention of Sasuke's name made her face color with pink. A sudden wave of guilt hit Hinata, as she realized she didn't even ask if Sasuke wanted to come with them. _'I hope Sasuke doesn't mind that I'm here with Kiba. Maybe I should've asked if he wanted to go.' _Hana looked at Hinata, waiting for an answer.

"He's at home. Kiba asked me to come with him tonight. Shino-kun was supposed to come as well but he's sick."

Hana took a look at Kiba who was avoiding eye contact with his sister at all cost. "Sick eh? Hinata, please excuse me for a minute - I need to talk to my brother on some...clan matters. It shouldn't take long." Hana grabbed Kiba's arm and dragged him by force away from the shy kunoichi. "T-take your time," she said softly, her words barely heard over the roar of the party.

When Hana figured they were far enough from Hinata, she looked at her brother with fiery eyes. "Kiba, I know what you're doing. This is not a good idea at all and you know it."

Kiba avoided her gaze and instead locked eyes with Hinata. She gave him a small wave and he shyly waved back. _'This girl has no idea what she does to me.'_ Breaking eye contact with Hinata but still refusing to look at his sister, Kiba decided to start talking, hoping he could say enough to get Hana off his back. "Look sis, I have no idea what you're – " Hana took Kiba's face in her hands and turned it so he had to look her in the eyes. Kiba knew that Hana could hold his face like that for as long as she wanted to, so he gave in to spare himself the agony.

"Okay, okay. I'll explain! Just let go of my face will ya?!" Hana did as he said and she stood patiently, waiting for an explanation.

"Hinata hasn't been happy for months. Hana, if you saw how she looks when she comes to training with Shino and I, it would break your heart. Sasuke's no good for her. I'm just trying to make her smile and show her a good time. She really needs it."

"Hmm, the good friend ploy. Nice one Kiba, but it won't work. You know Hinata sees you as a close friend and that's it. Don't ruin your friendship over your childhood crush."

Kiba looked away, the hurt filling his eyes as he heard Hana's words. "Shut up! You don't know what you're talking about!" Kiba practically shouted. This garnered some looks from people walking by them but Hana gave them a reassuring smile to show them everything was okay.

Hana felt for her little brother, truly she did. She knew that Kiba always had a thing for his blue-haired teammate; he was just too stubborn to admit it back then. When the news of Hinata and Sasuke's engagement broke across town, Hana had watched her brother go from an energetic person bouncing off the walls with Akamaru to a person that was…well heartbroken. Despite the fact that he still promised to protect Hinata at all costs, it still hurt him knowing that the small chance he could've had with her was basically gone. It broke her heart to see her brother this way. That's why she had to try to save him from further agony.

"Kiba…" she put her hand on his shoulder softly. "Hinata loves you, just not in that way. Even if she's not happy with Sasuke, you shouldn't interfere with her relationship, whatever it might be."

Kiba didn't turn around, even when he felt his sister's hand on his shoulder. "I have to try. I can make her happy Hana. Happier than that Uchiha ever has. I can't live without trying."

With that, Kiba walked away from his sister, meeting back up with Hinata, a smile plastered on his face. Hinata was eating a snack when she saw Kiba come back towards her. "Everything alright?" she asked, food still in her mouth. Hinata blushed when she realized she was talking with food in her mouth. Quickly, She swallowed before continuing. "That took longer than I thought it would."

Kiba nodded. "Yeah, everything's fine," he lied. "Hana would talk for hours if I'd let her." Kiba whispered something to Akamaru and he nodded, running off into the party. He held out his arm for Hinata to take hold of. "Come on, let's walk around." Hinata smiled and took his arm. Together, they started their walk around the Inuzuka compound, talking to people along the way.

* * *

><p>Sasuke reached the Inuzuka compound in record time, speeding through the streets of Konoha to get there. Everyone gave Sasuke a weird look as they saw him running quickly but he ignored all of their stares; his mind was only on one thing. Once he arrived, Sasuke took a pause to catch his breath. He hadn't really thought of a plan before he left so he had to think of one on his feet. He looked at the entranceway but shook his head for even considering it.<p>

_'Not an option," _Sasuke told himself._ 'Everyone would notice me, including Kiba and Hinata.' _

He contemplated hoping over a wall in the back of the compound but quickly ruled that out when he remembered Kiba's clan could pick up a foreign scent within their walls in seconds. He sighed to himself, coming to terms that he really had no plan of action. He looked up into the trees, about to give up when a plan sprung up in his mind. Sasuke smirked to himself as he jumped into a nearby tree with ease.

_'Perfect. There are enough trees around this place for me to stay in. I can keep an eye on Hinata and Kiba without them noticing me.' _

Sasuke began his surveillance, quickly finding Hinata and Kiba socializing with some of the other Inuzukas. He frowned when he saw Kiba move his hand around Hinata's waist, holding her as if she was his. _'I knew he was up to no good…' _Hinata shifted her body a bit when Kiba did this, making Kiba's hand fall from her waist. Sasuke smirked in approval when he watched this unfurl in front of his eyes. _'Yep, that's my wife.' _Sasuke shook his head when he said this to himself. _'I really need to get a_ grip.'

* * *

><p>Kiba and Hinata spent the next hour laughing and talking while was close by, Sasuke looking overhead. "Kiba, I'm having so much fun tonight. Thank you for inviting me." Hinata said all of this with a smile. She and Kiba were in a grassy part of the compound, some distance away from the party. They were sitting by a tree some Hinata could rest her feet, aching from her heels.<p>

"Anytime Hinata," Kiba said, smiling back. "You know I'd do anything for you."

"I know. I'm so glad we're such close friends Kiba." Hinata's smile grew even bigger, making Kiba's heart leap.

Still, Kiba frowned when he heard the words "friends". _'I don't want to just be your friend anymore Hinata. Why can't you see that?' _

Swiftly thinking, Kiba stood up and took Hinata's hand, pulling her up with him. He grabbed her by the waist and pulled her close to his body. He started moving her around in circles. "Kiba!" she said, awkwardly moving with him. She blushed at how quickly Kiba pulled her into a dance. "What are you doing?" Kiba just smiled softly. "I'm dancing with you silly."

Hinata awkwardly let Kiba lead her around for a couple of minutes. Sasuke, still looking down at them from the trees overheard, smirked to himself, enjoying that Kiba was failing to make Hinata comfortable. _'Sucks to be you Inuzuka.'_

"You know, dancing doesn't really work if you don't move your feet Hinata." Hinata looked into Kiba's eyes and blushed again. "I'm sorry. It's just that…I don't dance very often." Kiba gave her a sympathetic look. "Well we all know that your husband isn't one for fun." Sasuke's smirk turned into a frown when he heard Kiba say this.

"Sasuke can be fun when he wants to be. I just haven't seen that side of him yet." Hinata said softly in return. She didn't know why, but she felt compelled to defend Sasuke against Kiba's words, even though she knew what Kiba said was true.

Sasuke heard Hinata's words and was surprised by them. He wondered why she bothered to defend him when there wasn't a reason to. _'Does she actually li-' _Sasuke quickly brushed this thought away. He assumed Hinata said those words because she was a kind-hearted person, nothing more.

Kiba stopped his movements and gave a smile to the shy beauty. "It's not that hard to dance. All it takes is practice. I didn't ask you properly anyways." Kiba bowed in front of Hinata. "M'lady, may I have this dance?"

Hinata couldn't help but giggle at her friend's antics. "Okay Kiba. Just don't bow in front of me again. You know I hate that." Kiba held out his hand for Hinata to take a hold of and she happily took it. It didn't take long for them to start dancing in perfect sync. The music from the party was barely heard from where they were but they didn't care. Hinata looked at Kiba with glee in her eyes. This was the first time in a while that she felt carefree and loose. Kiba surprised her with a dip and she let out not a giggle, but a hearty laugh. She was glad she came to the party with Kiba tonight; she loved that she had a friend on her side.

Sasuke watched the scene playing down below him. His expression was stoic; he refused to show any emotion, despite the fact that a myriad of feelings were brewing inside of him. When he heard Hinata laugh, his fist curled up into a ball. _'I've never heard Hinata laugh like that. How did Kiba pull that off?' _Sasuke felt sick. He was disgusted at himself, knowing that he was starting to get jealous of Kiba. Deciding he had seen enough, Sasuke dropped from the tree and started to walk home. As he did, the words Hinata said to him a month ago played in his mind:

_"Look at us – we don't love each other." _

"Right,"Sasuke said out loud to himself. "We don't."

* * *

><p>Finished with their dance, Hinata had a full-blown smile on her face. Kiba looked at her happily. "Since you liked that so much, we could always do it again." He pulled Hinata towards him again, bringing their faces close enough so that their noses were touching. A soft blush appeared on Hinata's face as she retreated from his hold.<p>

"It's getting late. I told Sasuke I wouldn't be out for a long time." A disappointed Kiba nodded. "Alright," he said, sighing underneath his breath. "Let's get you home."

The walk back to Hinata's house was a quiet one. Her and Kiba weren't as talkative as they were going to the party. Hinata didn't think anything of the silence. Since she was comfortable with Kiba, she didn't mind not having anything to talk about with him. On the other hand, Kiba was restless. He took the silence as an awkward one, thinking that what he did at the party upset Hinata.

_'I knew I shouldn't have asked for that second dance. She must hate me. Why do you have to be so pushy Kiba?!' _

He scolded himself until no end. Nearing her house, Kiba debated with himself. _'I have to tell her tonight. If I don't, I'll never have the guts to do it again.' _

"Hinata?" Kiba stopped, footsteps in front of her house.

"Hmm?" she turned to look at him. "Yes Kiba?"

"I have to tell you something."

* * *

><p>Sasuke was close to the home he and Hinata shared when heard footsteps rounding the corner. He hid behind some bushes and saw his wife with Kiba. He noticed that they weren't talking at all but quickly reasoned that Kiba hadn't done anything to upset Hinata because she looked content.<p>

He watched them get closer to the house before Kiba stopped Hinata with his words. Curious to see what would happen, Sasuke positioned himself behind the bush better, giving him a clearer view of the situation, thanks to a small clearing in the bristles.

* * *

><p>"Kiba what is it?" Hinata prompted him to go on. After he told her he had something to say, he just stared at her, his voice suddenly disappearing.<p>

"Hinata I – You see I…," Kiba sighed, starting to pace in his spot. Hinata looked at him questioningly, wondering what was going on in her friend's head.

Kiba took a deep breath and stilled, looking at Hinata head on. "Hinata, I know this guy right? Well this guy has been friends with this girl for years and he's always liked her. He just never said anything because he was too proud to admit it." He paused to see if Hinata was listening. She gave him a polite nod and he continued.

"Now, this guy still likes her, but there's a problem."

"What's the problem?" she asked.

"She's…uhh…she's with another guy. But I know she's not happy with him. I – I mean my friend, sees her all the time and she never seems happy. But my friend could make her happy again. I know he could! He loves making her smile. He'd do anything for her." Kiba took another deep breath.

"So my question is this – how does my friend tell her he lo….that he likes her?"

Hinata thought about this for a minute, wanting to give Kiba an answer. When she looked at Kiba again, she saw the longing in his eyes. Now Hinata might've been slow to catch hints, but even she couldn't miss the stare he was giving her. She looked down and blushed.

_'Kiba-kun's talking about me?! But, but we're just friends! I don't see him like that. But I don't want to break his heart.' _

Hinata started to stress over what she should do in her mind. Meanwhile, Sasuke was still watching from behind the bush. He wasn't surprised at what the dog-ninja was admitting. He was actually sort of amused at the fact that he didn't have the guts to come outright and say it.

_'Damn Kiba, at least be man enough to say it to her. Who knew you were so weak when it comes to girls?' _Sasuke couldn't help but smirk to himself.

Hinata didn't want to look up at Kiba. She didn't have the heart to crush him. She was familiar with that pain all too much. Now that she was on the receiving side of unwanted love, she was unsure what to do with herself.

"Hinata?" Kiba said quietly. Hinata brought her head up to face Kiba. "What should my friend do?"

She sighed uncomfortably. She had to do this, even though it hurt her to do so. "Well…I-I think your…friend shouldn't pursue his love for her any further. L-let's say she doesn't like him back: your friend wouldn't want to change years of friendship for that."

"But what if she did like him back?" Kiba knew what was coming, but his pride didn't let him back down.

"She's with someone else. Even if the girl did like him back, your friend would be messing with somebody else's relationship. I-I just don't think that's a good idea."

Hinata looked down, wanting to cry. "Sorry Kiba," she whispered softly. "I'm not that good at giving advice."

At this point, Sasuke was fully amused with the scene happening in front of him. _'That's what you get for being so cocky jerk.'_ Never one to laugh at the right time, he let out a soft chuckle. Unbeknownst to him, Hinata picked up on the sound. Her head darted up, looking around. She knew it was Sasuke.

Kiba shrugged, trying to mask his pain. He was too much in his own feelings to notice the sounds around him. "It's okay Hinata. I know that you always speak with your heart. It means a lot to me."

Hinata saw the sadness in Kiba's eyes. She took a step towards him but Kiba moved away from her. "Uh, I should get going. My mom get's annoying if I'm out late." Hinata nodded. "Right."

"I'll see you around!" Kiba tried flashing Hinata his bright smile but failed. Slowly, he started to walk away, taking steps as if he had just lost a battle.

Hinata shed a tear; she hated that she had caused someone she cared about pained. She quickly wiped it away, composing herself. She stood in the middle of her street for a minute, watching Kiba walk away. While she was doing this, she could feel eyes on her.

"Byakugan!" she yelled to herself, activating it to see around her. _'Maybe I'm just imagining things…' _She thought to herself as she looked around. Sasuke watched her activate her Byakugan and started to make a dash to the backyard to make it seem like he was there the whole time, training with his equipment. He knew the Byakugan's powers but he still wanted to try. However, she still caught him, catching his chakra flow moving as he dashed away.

Finding what she suspected, Hinata let her eyes go back to normal. _'Why was Sasuke watching us?'_ Hinata suddenly felt tired, too many events happening in one night for her to handle. She made her way to her front door quickly. She unlocked it and stepped right on in, relaxing at the feel of her home.

* * *

><p>Hinata began to take off her heels when Sasuke walked into the house using the back door. Hinata wondered whether she should bring up the fact she saw him right away. She looked at him when he came up and stood some distance in front of her. She was about to open her mouth when Sasuke beat her to it. "Have fun?" he asked, trying to sound uninterested in her coming answer.<p>

She nodded. "Yes, I did. I had a good time. Why do you ask Sasuke?" He shoved his hands into his pockets. "No reason." Hinata took her heels in her hand and started to walk past him to get to her room. "What did you do with him anyways?"

Hinata stopped walking and turned around. "I don't know. Why don't you tell me?"

He gave her a questioning look. "How would I know what you did with that Inuzuka?" Sasuke looked down, kicking the dust on the ground.

"Maybe because you were watching us." Sasuke scoffed at Hinata's idea and tried to play it off without giving himself away.

"Why would I want to watch you and _Kiba_ all night? I have better things to do with my time." Hinata held back a giggle when she heard his words. _'He's going to great lengths to lie to me.'_

"I saw you tonight Sasuke. You were watching us." She watched Sasuke roll his eyes at her, making her want to laugh even more.

"I was not." He said simply.

"Was to." She rebutted.

"Was not.

"Was to."

Sasuke shook his head. "I don't have time for this childish game Hinata. I don't want to hear about how you danced with Kiba anyways." Now he was the one who started to walk away, heading off to his room.

When Sasuke said this, Hinata smiled. "I never said Kiba and I danced." Sasuke froze in his spot. _'Shit.'_ He thought to himself.

"Lucky guess," Sasuke said without turning around.

"I think somebody's jealous." Hinata didn't get the chance to tease people often. She took amusement in the fact that Sasuke was bothered by her going out with Kiba. At the same time, she wondered why he was taking an interest in what she was doing now all of a sudden.

Sasuke turned around quickly and walked right up to Hinata. "I'm not jealous." Hinata smirked at him. "I don't know Sasuke. You look pretty jealous to me."

"Please," Sasuke started. "I could never be jealous of that…that…" Usually Sasuke was good with coming up with comebacks but right now he was at a loss of words.

"Cat got your tongue?" Hinata let out a giggle, pissing off Sasuke even more. "No," Sasuke said simply. "So why were you watching us?"

"Get over yourself. I wasn't watching either of you," Sasuke said coldly. Hinata just shrugged. "Okay Sasuke. You weren't watching us."

She walked to her bedroom door slowly before entering her room. Sasuke's eyes didn't leave her body as she walked. Even though he was admiring her backside, Sasuke was admiring her attitude more.

_'_She keeps surprising me_,' _he began to think to himself. _'I didn't know she had it in her to be like this. It's kinda sexy.'_

She was about to close the door before turning around. "Oh Sasuke?" she voiced. Sasuke looked at her, not saying anything. "I like your outfit." Sasuke looked down at himself. He was wearing jeans and a dark t-shirt with sandals, his usual night-at-home attire. "I didn't know you could train in that." His eyes met hers again. A smirk formed on her lips before she disappeared behind her bedroom door, closing it shut.

_'Shit.'_

* * *

><p><strong>Poor Kiba :( but I love sassy Hinata don't you? :) Some people may say she's a bit OOC but I don't think she is. Just because a girl is shy doesn't mean she can't bring some attitude when needed! Anyways, thank you all for the reviews, follows and favorites! I'm glad so many people enjoy this story. Don't know when I'll update next but stay tuned!<strong>


	7. A Day at Home

**Hey Y'all! I missed everyone! Sorry it's taken me so long to update - school's been a bummer but I'm finally on Spring Break so yay :) I hope you enjoy!**

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><p><strong>Chapter 7: A Day at Home<strong>

When sunlight flooded her room the next morning, Hinata fluttered her eyes opened with a groan. Never the greatest morning person, all she wanted to do was stay in bed and not worry about anything for a day. She stuck her arms out of her covers and stretched with a yawn. The cool air of the room hit her and she quickly retreated back underneath her comforter. Even though she hated getting up, what Hinata loved most about the morning were the first few moments that she was awake. In these first few moments, a sort of happy emptiness accompanied her – none of her worries from the previous day had caught up with her yet, letting her relax in peace. But as always, this peace eventually left her. Her mood was dampened when she thought about what happened last night. She thought of Kiba and the look he gave her when she denied him. Hinata frowned and sunk into her sheets even more.

Why had she denied Kiba? Kiba was a great man. He was a loyal and protective person. Surely he would take care of her no matter the circumstances. "I shouldn't have turned him down…" she mumbled to herself. The moment she said this, Hinata knew that she had made the right choice, despite the fact she hurt Kiba in the process. Hinata knew she wouldn't have been a good wife to him. Sure, she would be faithful to him and stay by his side but she wouldn't love him, not the way he loved her. She couldn't subject Kiba to a one-sided marriage. She cared for Kiba too much to put him through that. Turning around so she was looking up, Hinata stared at the ceiling, wondering if she would ever find love.

* * *

><p>Sasuke was up at the crack of dawn, as he always was, getting ready for another day of training. He planned to go back to Lady Tsunade's office – maybe today she would finally offer him a mission. He was sick of being cooped up in Kohona. All of its citizens kept him underneath a microscope, watching every one of his moves. They had warmed up a bit when he married Hinata, the shy village sweetheart, but it didn't stop them from being so nosy in his affairs. He just wished everyone would get over themselves. Sitting on the couch in the living room, Sasuke looked at the time, waiting for a text from his yellow-haired partner, telling him he was ready for another training session. Sasuke sighed and put it down next to him, knowing that staring at the phone wouldn't make a text come any faster. As soon as he did, his phone began to ring. Sasuke picked it up without looking at the caller ID.<p>

"Hello" he answered in a low voice.

"Hey Sasuke!" Naruto answered. His voice was high in energy but he sounded out of breath.

"Why do you sound like that? Did you start training already?"

"Heheh, you could say that." Sasuke could practically hear Naruto grinning over the phone. _'Why is he in such a great mood?' _He wondered. "Look, I just called to tell you I can't train today."

"Why?" Sasuke asked, a little irritated. Although he'd never admit it, he actually looked forward to these training sessions with Naruto.

"Because…I'm uhh...training at home today."

"With what? And where? You barely have a backyard to move around in." Sakura and Naruto still lived in an apartment that barely had enough backyard space to plant a tiny garden. Naruto promised Sakura they'd move to a house as soon as possible but, for now, Sakura didn't mind at all. She enjoyed the coziness of their home.

"Not everyone can move into a perfect house as soon as they get married Teme!" Naruto did have a point. Sasuke and Hinata were given their house by Hinata's father. He preferred them to stay close by the Hyuuga compound but he understood Sasuke's need for privacy.

"You haven't answered my question." Naruto took a breath, ready to respond when Sasuke heard another voice from Naruto's end of the call.

"Narutoooo!" the voice called. "The bath water is getting cold. And you know I hate getting wet by myself."

"'_Training'_ huh?" Sasuke said after hearing the voice. Naruto chuckled softly into the phone.

"Well what I'm doing takes a lot of stamina! I don't know what's been up with her lately. Sakura's been really…frisky if you know what I mean."

"I don't need the details Naruto" Sasuke said with a sigh. Naruto just ignored him.

"Like yesterday she made a big deal over our 4 month anniversary. I didn't even know it was our 4 month anniversary. Who the heck celebrates one of those things?"

"Naruto…" Sasuke interjected but Naruto continued.

"So she cooked me dinner and she had this _amazing _dress on that showed off her boobs and her ass and before I could even finish dinner, she was all over me!"

"Dobe didn't I say no details?"

"And she kept wanting more and more. We've been up the whole night and we're still going! She's wearing me out but how can I say no? I mean, she's practically – "

"NARUTO!" Sasuke shouted into the phone, finally getting Naruto to shut up.

"Geez," Naruto said after a minute. "What's got your panties in a bunch?"

"I just...didn't need to hear all that," Sasuke said with an annoyed tone.

"I think you're just jealous because you're not getting any with Hinata," teased Naruto.

Sasuke's face scrunched up when Naruto said this. He was annoyed but knew Naruto was right to an extent. "Who said I'm not getting any?"

"Sakura did." Naruto retorted.

Sasuke scoffed. "And how would she know?"

"Our wives hang out like all the time. How wouldn't she know?"

_'What has Hinata been telling Sakura?' _Sasuke wondered to himself.

"Anyways, while we were taking a break from our 'training'," Naruto couldn't help but chuckle at his attempt of a joke. "Sakura said that – "

"Naruto!" Sakura's voiced began to shout from Naruto's end of the call. "I'm starting without you!"

"Look man, I gotta go!" Naruto said. "I'll talk to you later."

"Wait but what did – " Sasuke began to ask but Naruto hung up on him before he could finish it. Sasuke was fully annoyed now; not only did he not have a training partner for today, but the fact that Naruto knew he wasn't having sex pissed him off. _'It's not any of the dobe's business anyways.' _He told himself, trying to brush it off. It didn't work though – It bothered him like crazy.

* * *

><p>Hinata finally got up from her bed and managed to make her way to the bathroom. She brushed her teeth and took a quick shower. When she got back to her bedroom, she decided to wear and old t-shirt and some sweatpants. Hinata wasn't one for dressing down often but today she wanted to clean up around the house and she didn't want to get any of her good clothes dirty. Done with her morning routine, she walked down the hall and into the living room and found Sasuke sitting on the couch, watching TV. She looked at him weirdly; Sasuke didn't usually watch TV.<p>

"What are you watching?" she asked politely and quietly. He didn't bother to answer her nor look up at her. She mentally sighed and looked at the TV herself. He was watching a news program._'Of course he would watch the news. He's too serious to watch a cartoon.'_

She walked over to the couch and sat down on the other side of it, leaving a full seat cushion between them. "I haven't watched the news in a while. I used to watch it everyday with father and Hanabi. He always said it was important to keep up with current affairs." Sasuke said nothing. Hinata frowned because her attempts at small talk were failing once again.

"Alright then," she said quietly but loud enough for Sasuke to hear. She got up from the couch and began to move to the kitchen to make breakfast.

"What do you and Sakura talk about?" Sasuke's voice surprised Hinata, causing her to jump up a bit. She poked her head out of the kitchen to look at him. His eyes were on her and a shiver ran down Hinata's spine.

_'I hate the fact he can do that to me.' _She thought to herself.

"Umm…I don't know. A lot of things." She ducked back into the kitchen, looking around. She thought about making eggs but felt lazy. She started opening and closing cupboards, thinking about what she could eat.

"Do you talk about me with her?" Sasuke asked, still sitting on the couch. Hinata was too busy making noise with the cupboards that she didn't manage to hear Sasuke's question.

"What did you say?" she asked from the kitchen. Sasuke rolled his eyes and moved from the couch and walked to the entranceway of the kitchen.

When Hinata felt his presence near her, she stopped moving about the kitchen and looked at him. "I said, do you and Sakura ever talk about me?"

Hinata shrugged. "I guess so, sometimes," she said softly. "Why are you so interested in what we talk about all of a sudden?"

"Do you ever talk about what we do?" Sasuke leaned against the doorframe. "Rather, what we _don't_ do." Saying this with an annoyed air, Sasuke looked down at the tiles below him. A blush appeared on Hinata's face when he mentioned this.

"N-no not at all," she said, her stutter making its appearance once more. She could barely think about the subject without blushing, let alone talk about it. "You know, I think I'm just going to have cereal for breakfast." She mumbled this to herself as she got a bowl from a cupboard overhead.

"Don't change the subject. Do you talk about sex with Sakura?"

"N-no S-Sasuke, I don't." Her face with red with her blush, surprised at how forward he was being. One of the reasons she got so embarrassed when someone brought up the subject of sex was due to the fact that it made her very curious. She started to think about how it must feel to be caressed by strong hands, how it feels to have pleasure rippling through your body, how it feels when he finally –

"You're lying." Sasuke said simply, interjecting into her thoughts.

"Am not."

"Are to."

"Am not."

"Are to – look, I'm not doing this," Sasuke said shaking his head. "Why would you even mention such a thing to her Hinata? Sakura has a big mouth."

"S-Sasuke think – do you really think I would talk about... s-sex with Sakura?" Sasuke just looked at her. "She tells m-me about her and Naruto all the time but I can't even think about making love without blushing."

Sasuke knew she had a point. He scoffed when he heard her use the term making love. "Making love? Does such a thing exist?" he asked, partly to Hinata and partly to himself.

"It does," Hinata said simply. "It has to."

"Oh yeah?" Sasuke said with a smirk. "How would you know?"

Hinata paused and looked down at the ground. "I-I wouldn't," she began. She slowly brought her head up and looked at Sasuke again. "But how would you know it doesn't?"

He didn't have a comeback for that one. "Whatever." Sasuke looked out of their kitchen window, staring at the sun in the clouds. "I still think you're lying."

Hinata sighed in exasperation. "Okay then Sasuke." She got their lone box of cereal out and poured some into her bowl for herself.

"So…what exactly do you tell her?"

Hinata opened the fridge and grabbed the milk. She thought for a minute before a smile appeared on her face. "I'll tell you on one condition."

"Hmph. And what is that?"

"Why don't you want to… with me?" Hinata omitted the phrase, too shy to say it.

Sasuke just smirked. He knew exactly why but he wasn't about to satisfy Hinata with giving her a response. Instead of answering her question, he pinned her against one of the kitchen walls, leaving her breathless.

"Sasuke!" she said in a whisper, looking up into his dark eyes. He looked down at her, his smirk still on his face. He pressed his body against hers, making Hinata gasp. Their bodies touching just enough for Hinata to feel the outline of Sasuke's chest muscles against her. She thought she could feel something else, which made her blush furiously.

"Uchihas don't make love," he said softly. He leaned his head down to Hinata's ear, whispering ever so quietly.

"We fuck."

Hinata's eyes widened when he said this. His hot breath had caused her whole body to tremble. Part of her wanted to push him away but the other part of her wanted more. She wanted him to devour her, claiming his territory once and for all. She blushed when she realized what was going through her head.

Sasuke knew exactly what he was doing to her and his smirk became more clear. Moving away from Hinata's body, he turned away and exited the kitchen. "You're so annoying," he said as he walked off. He left Hinata dumbstruck with a carton of milk in her hand, a blush on her face, and underwear that were beginning to be uncomfortable to wear.

* * *

><p>After that incident, it was Hinata's turn to be annoyed at Sasuke. He definitely got her back for teasing him the night before and she didn't like it at all. After fixing her bowl of cereal, she went into the living room and sat on the armchair, opposite of couch Sasuke was sitting on. She didn't say anything; she just focused on eating her bowl of cereal. Every so often, Hinata would look up from her bowl and steal glances of Sasuke. His eyes were on the television, now tuned to a random sitcom. He seemed pretty into the show so Hinata assumed he didn't notice her at all.<p>

"I know you're looking at me," he finally said, not turning his eye gaze towards Hinata. Hinata let out a small "eep" sound and quickly looked down at her cereal bowl, now only containing milk. Her cheeks became red once again as the thought of him pushing her against another wall ran through her mind. She tried to calm herself down by sipping on some milk but the thought still lingered.

"Who would've thought that Hyyuga Hinata is a pervert?" Hearing this, Hinata started to choke in surprise. Sasuke's head was now turned, facing Hinata, with his all too usual smirk plastered on his face.

"I-I'm not a pervert!" Hinata exclaimed after her choking fit ended.

"Then why are your cheeks still red?" Hinata touched her cheek with her free hand and felt the warmth radiating from it.

"I-I d-don't know," she said softly. She didn't dare look at Sasuke. She knew if she did, she would end up blushing even more.

"Oh, I think you know," Sasuke said in a seductive, low tone. Just the sound of his voice when Sasuke spoke those words made Hinata tremble a bit. She couldn't help but look at him. When she did, her entire face went red. He smirked again, which made Hinata angry. Getting up from the couch in a huff, she quickly moved into the kitchen to get away from Sasuke.

"You're s-such a jerk!" she exclaimed as she walked away.

Hinata decided to avoid Sasuke for the rest of the day. She couldn't deny that he had gotten to her but it bothered her that she had let him have such an influence on her behavior. She calmed down as she started cleaning around the house, starting with her bedroom. She cleaned slowly, taking her time to get everything looking right once again. She cleaned all the rooms in the house except Sasuke's room and the living room, where Sasuke was still sitting.

_'Is he really going to sit there and watch TV all day?' _she asked herself as she turned away from the living after seeing he was still sitting there. It was unusual for Sasuke to sit and not do anything for an entire day.

_'I guess Naruto's busy with something. Sasuke should get more friends.'_

Finished with the house, Hinata went into the backyard. She started to garden but only did so for a little while. Sighing, she looked up at the clouds. It was a sunny day in Konoha and Hinata didn't feel like staying at home.

_'Maybe I could see what Sakura's up to,' _she told herself. However, she quickly threw out that idea.

_'If Naruto's busy today, that could only mean that Sakura has him tied up with something.' _Hinata blushed at the quick thought that Sakura might literally have Naruto tied up at this particular moment. Hinata thought about every person she could see in Konoha but ruled them all out for one reason or another.

Disappointed in her lack of social options, Hinata decided it would just be best to stay in the backyard and enjoy some of the sun while she could. She began to walk along the perimeter of the backyard Sasuke and her shared. She first walked past her small garden before walking near Sasuke's training space. When they had first moved in, Hinata had let Sasuke commandeer most of the backyard for his space because he really wanted it. She didn't want to start out their life together making him angry by saying no. Hinata sighed, looking back at the situation. _'I want a bigger garden. He barely uses his space anyways.'_

Hinata paused in front of an old training dummy Sasuke had set up to practice his close range attacks on. She examined it for a minute, studying its features. Even though it had only been in the backyard for 7 months, it was already starting to show the effects of sun bleaching.

She reached out to touch it, which caused it to rock backwards for a second, quickly coming back to its resting position. For no particular reason, she did this again, hitting the dummy a bit harder. She started to hit the dummy repeatedly, hitting it harder every time. Before she knew it, Hinata was practicing full-blown attacks on the dummy in front of her, giving herself quite the workout.

"You look like you're having fun." Startled, Hinata quickly turned around and attacked without realizing what she was doing. The source of the voice luckily dodged her attack in time, leaving Hinata with an angry look in her eyes.

"Y-you can't just do that to people!" she exclaimed, huffing and puffing a bit. "I could've hurt you!"

"No you couldn't have," Sasuke said with a cool voice. "Not with that fighting stance anyways."

Hinata looked down at the way she was standing but saw nothing wrong with it. "My stance is fine thank you," she said defensively.

He shrugged. "If you say so." He eyed her up and down with a questioning look. "What are you doing anyways?"

Hinata thought about this for a while. She wasn't really sure how she ended up fighting a dummy in front of her. She just looked at him and shrugged. "I'm not sure. I guess my frustration got the best of me."

"Sexual frustration?" Sasuke asked with a cheeky smirk. Hinata moved to slap him but he quickly reached out and grabbed her wrist. "I'm sorry! It was just a joke."

Hinata's eyes widen when she heard the words come out of his mouth. Sasuke never apologized to anyone.

"What did you say?" she asked in a surprised tone. Sasuke just looked at her. "I'm not going to repeat myself," He said, letting go of her wrist. They looked at each other for a while, neither one not knowing what to say. Sasuke finally broke the silence.

"Do you need a training partner?"

Hinata looked at him quizzically. "Huh?"

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Again, I'm not going to repeat myself." Hinata rolled her eyes back, getting annoyed with his attitude.

"I'm surprised Naruto doesn't get sick of your attitude. It's annoying." Hinata covered her mouth when she said this. She meant to keep this thought to herself but had managed to voice her opinion right in front of Sasuke

He just looked at her and Hinata felt even worse. She started to blurt out a response but Sasuke happened to get his words out first. "I'm sure he does," he said plainly. "But I can't help who I am."

"Doesn't mean you have to be a jerk." Hinata looked down at the ground quickly. Apparently her thoughts didn't want to stay in her mind any longer.

"I don't know how to be anything else." His response made Hinata look up at him. She looked into his eyes and for a second, she thought she saw a hint of sadness in them. Whether or not her eyes were playing tricks on her, the sadness quickly passed.

"Do you want to train or not?" He shifted his weight while standing, waiting for Hinata's response.

She thought for a minute, wondering if she should take him up on his offer. She knew Sasuke was a great ninja and could probably teach her some new things, considering she was very eager to learn. What she wasn't sure of was if she could take being around him for a long time without wanting to punch him for being too mean.

"Sure," Hinata finally said, a smile slowly forming on her face. "It would be nice to train with someone new. Plus Shino's on a mission and Kiba…" Her voice trailed off at the thought of Kiba. Her smile went away as she thought about hurting him all over again. She still felt bad that she broke his heart.

Sasuke couldn't help but smirk when Kiba's name made Hinata's voice trail off. There was a small part of him that felt for her but for the most part, he loved the fact she turned the guy down. "You know, if the cocky bastard didn't annoy me so much, I'd feel a bit bad for him. Why'd you turn him down anyways?"

"Because Kiba and I are friends and even though I find him sweet, I just don't – wait a minute!" Hinata looked at Sasuke with hard eyes. "You were spying on us! I knew it!" Sasuke didn't react, keeping his eye gaze on her. "Why were you spying on us?"

Not bothering to answer Hinata's question, Sasuke moved his hands to the bottom of his shirt. "Sasuke I know you can hear me! Why were you spying on us?" In one swift motion, Sasuke took off his shirt, revealing his well-defined chest.

"Are you even listening to me? Why did you…" Hinata trailed off as her eyes moved to his clad chest. Now Hinata knew that Sasuke had a handsome body (she had heard a lot about it from Sakura). It wasn't the first time she had seen him without a shirt but it was the first time she was taking in more than a glance. Her eyes didn't know what to do – if she openly ogled him, he'd think she was a pervert but if she moved her eyes down and blushed, Sasuke would know that she liked what she saw. Hinata tried diverting her eyes but that failed. Her cheeks became hot with her blush as embarrassment washed over her. _'Stop staring Hinata! Pull yourself together!' _She scolded herself.

Meanwhile, Sasuke just smirked at her, amused at the sight of her looking at his body.

"Cat got your tongue?" He asked, his smirk almost changing into a smile. Sasuke was enjoying this too much.

"Shut u-up," Hinata muttered, looking away from him. "Let's just get this over with."

"As you wish," Sasuke said simply. Swiftly, he moved and attacked Hinata without warning. She was knocked off of her feet by the attack, landing flat on her backside. "I-I wasn't even ready!" she protested, looking at Sasuke from the ground. "Well, I was just doing what you asked…princess." A smirk reappeared on Sasuke's face; he knew the term would get to her and he couldn't pass up an opportunity to stir her up.

Hinata's eyes flamed with anger when she heard Sasuke call her princess. She absolutely despised whenever someone called her that. Quickly, she hopped on her feet and proceeded to attack Sasuke with multiple hits. Sasuke retaliated with no hesitation, meeting her attacks with his own.

"You're better than I remember," Sasuke said in-between attacks. "Guess that training's been paying off."

"Thanks," Hinata said. "Wish I could say the same for you." A small smile appeared on her face, knowing she was poking at Sasuke's ego. The statement irked Sasuke, making him come at Hinata even harder.

The pair fought for a while but neither of them could make the other one back down. The finally stopped when they came face-to-face, both of them holding the other's fists. "Ready to give up?" Sasuke asked cheekily. "Never," Hinata said back in-between her short breaths.

Sasuke just chuckled and let go of Hinata's fists first. Hinata took in a couple deep breaths when they broke apart. "You…you certainly have a lot of stamina," she managed to say as she gained her composure.

The fight appeared not to take anything out of Sasuke. His breathing was regular and he looked like he had just taken a stroll around the block. "Of course I do," Sasuke said back. "I could go all night if I wanted to."

Hinata's eyes widened when he said this. Sasuke merely smirked and picked up his shirt, walking back into the house as if nothing had happened.

* * *

><p>Sasuke started to cook dinner while Hinata took a short shower to clean up. When she reemerged in the kitchen, the smell of something savory met her nose. She walked up to the stove where Sasuke was and looked into the pot. When she saw ramen cooking, she looked up at him with questioning eyes.<p>

"I can't always cook a three course meal Hinata," Sasuke explained. Hinata walked away with a shrug and went outside on their porch to get in some final rays of sunlight before darkness greeted them once again. She didn't stay outside for long since the sun was almost underneath the horizon. About to walk through the door of their house, a letter that was underneath their welcome mat stopped Hinata. She looked at the letter weirdly but decided to pick it up anyways.

_'No one usually leaves letters underneath our mat outside. I wonder where it's from.'_

Hinata walked in examining the creamy white envelope. The envelope had nothing written on the outside of it so she decided to open it up. When she read the contents, her face went pale. Sasuke had finished setting the table when he looked up to see Hinata's face.

"What is it?" He had never seen her look so terrified before.

"My father…he wants us to come visit. Tomorrow."

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><p><strong>I hope you all liked that chapter! I had plans to extend this chapter to make it even longer but I really wanted to update because I haven't in over a month so you'll see what happens in the next chapter! I appreciate everyone who continues to read my story; it means a lot to me :) Please Review :) :) And remember to play, laugh, grow, and love. ~lovelyangelxox<strong>

**Update 11/14/14 - I completely suck, I know. I just got so busy with school and then I was traveling over the Summer and then I had to come back to school and... *sigh* I'm not sure if anyone is even still following this story but I haven't forgotten about this store, I promise. I will finish this story. Maybe I'll get out an update soon? No promises though haha. I'm just as anxious as you are for this story to continue :) I hope y'all are remembering to play, laugh, grow, and love. ~lovelyangelxox**


	8. Let Your Guard Down

**Hi Everyone! Yes, I still exist! Life has been crazy with school and whatnot but I finally managed to get this chapter out for you all. Enjoy! Feel free to tell me what you think :)**

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><p><strong><span>Chapter 8 - Let Your Guard Down<span>**

Hinata quivered in her place, all because her father wanted to see them. Sasuke looked at his wife, not knowing what to say; he wanted to comfort her but had no idea how or where to begin.

Hinata's hands trembled as she put the letter down on the couch. She looked over at Sasuke who was sitting at the table, waiting for her. "The food's getting cold," Sasuke said simply, not making eye contact with Hinata. "Right," she nodded, quickly sitting down at the table across from him. He started his meal when she sat down, eating at a normal pace.

Hinata looked at the food in front of her. Albeit simple, the food looked delicious. However, she couldn't bring herself to eat it. Sasuke looked up from his plate and raised an eyebrow at Hinata. "Hinata, your father possibly can't scare you this much."

Hinata, still visibly trembling, stuttered some words out. "Y-you don't understand."

"Try me." Sasuke pushed away his food from his area, signaling to Hinata that he was trying to give him all of his attention.

Hinata picked up on this but still couldn't form the words to explain her behavior. "You...you can't possibly understand," was all she managed to say.

"Hinata…" Sasuke said, starting to get annoyed with the woman in front of him. He took in a deep breath to calm himself down. _Getting annoyed won't help the situation. Stay cool Sasuke._

"Do y-you k-know w-what it's l-like being afraid of your f-father? H-honestly afraid?" Hinata swore with frustration underneath her breath. She was getting tired of her stuttering; she hated that her father had so much power over her emotions.

Despite Hinata's quiet voice, Sasuke heard her swear words and became concerned. He kept his eyes on her, not saying one word.

"He makes me feel like a failure every time I see him. He even made me feel that way right before our wedding! You know what he said to me?"

Sasuke was about to respond but Hinata didn't pause long enough to allow him to speak. "H-he said –" Hinata paused, tears of anger and sadness forming in her eyes. "'I sure hope Sasuke can put up with a disappointment like you. Kami knows I couldn't.'"

The tears started to roll down Hinata's cheeks but she quickly brushed them away, hoping that Sasuke wouldn't say anything about them. "Ever since my mother passed, he's been cold-hearted and he's taken it out on me. That's why I don't want to see him."

Hinata stood up from the table and went to her bedroom, closing the door behind her. Once inside, she lied down on her bed and began sobbing quietly; she was obviously in great distraught but she'd be damned if Sasuke heard her crying. She was tired of being viewed as weak in the eyes of the men in her life.

Sasuke contemplated leaving her alone. _Some people like their space in times like these. Maybe she's one of those people._

He then shook his head, embarrassed at himself. _Married to the girl for nine months and I still don't know how to console her when she's upset._

He knew that their games had gone on for too long. Whether they wanted to be together or not didn't change that the person he's supposed to take care of was hurting.

_'If there's anytime __not__ to leave her alone, it's now.'_

Sasuke got up from the table and walked to the door of the bedroom he and Hinata once shared. He pondered about knocking for a minute but quickly disregarded that idea and just walked in. What he saw broke his heart – curled up on their bed, Hinata was consciously trying to hold back her tears but failing miserably. Hinata heard the door open and gasped softly. She didn't want Sasuke seeing her like this at all. Hinata got up quickly from the bed and wiped away at her tears fiercely. "Sasuke go finish your food. It's getting cold." She dared not look at him because she didn't want to see his reaction if he saw her face.

She waited for movement but heard nothing. She didn't know what to do at this point. "Sasuke…I'm fine. Really. You can g-go." Her voice started cracking at the end of her sentence for she knew every word she was saying was a complete lie.

Sasuke didn't say a word. Instead, he moved towards her body. When he was close enough, he sat down on the bed and wrapped his arms around her curvy frame. When he did this, Hinata broke down completely – she couldn't pretend to be strong anymore. She laid down and began her tirade of sobs with Sasuke right behind her, holding her body close to his.

She cried until tears refused to pour out of her eyes anymore. Taking a couple deep breaths, she turned to face Sasuke. "Sasuke I'm sor-"

"Shh," Sasuke whispered. "It's okay. Get some rest."

"But…are you sure?" Hinata asked in her usual timid fashion. Sasuke nodded, kissing her forehead in the process. "You're tired."

After hearing that, Hinata didn't protest. Emotionally drained, she let her eyes close. She snuggled her head into Sasuke's muscular chest, taking in deep breaths of his scent. Sasuke lifted up one of his hands and started stroking Hinata's long hair, lulling her to sleep. He felt her breathing slow down to a calm pace. He felt a bit better; even though her worries would flood back to her the moment she woke up in the morning, she was asleep for now. He felt good knowing he helped with that. Sasuke decided that Hinata shouldn't be the only one who gets some rest. Following suit, he closed his eyes, his hand still on Hinata's head.

"Thank you…Sasuke." Sasuke's eyes popped open when he heard Hinata's soft voice. He looked down at her and saw that her eyes were still closed so he couldn't tell whether she was sleep talking or still conscious of what was going on. Sighing softly, he closed his eyes again. _'Don't think too much of it – she's probably sleeping.' _

Sasuke placed another soft kiss upon Hinata's forehead and said, "I'll always be here for you, Hinata. Always." With that, Sasuke fell asleep, Hinata wrapped up in his arms.

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><p>Always the early riser, Sasuke woke up the minute sunlight flooded the bedroom. He outstretched his arms and turned to his right, expecting Hinata to still be lying there. When he didn't see her body lying next to his, he was a bit surprised – Hinata always struggled with getting up early so for her to be up was out of the norm.<p>

As he started to think where she could possibly be, he heard the sounds of her feet moving around in another room. Sasuke got up and left the bedroom, following the sounds to the living room. There, he found Hinata pacing up and down their living room. She was already dressed, wearing a white sundress, adorned with a floral pattern and tan sandals. Her hair was up in a tight bun with only a few stray hairs falling on either side of her face, an unusual sight for Sasuke. She also smelled of lilacs, a scent he hadn't smelled on her since the day they wed.

"Hinata…you're up early. Why?" Sasuke asked while yawning, raising an arm to scratch his neck.

"We're seeing father today. I had to make myself look presentable." Hinata answered simply as she continued to pace up and down their living room floor.

"You couldn't do that later? I'm sure your father's not expecting us for a while," Sasuke responded. He continued to watch her pace up and down the floor. _She's going to pace herself to death if she keeps this up… _he thought to himself.

"He wants us there at Noon – sharp. I woke up early so I could mentally prepare myself. Plus, I didn't sleep very well last night."

A frown formed on Sasuke's face. _So me being in bed with her didn't calm her down at all?_ He quickly pushed this thought from his mind; he figured that not even his presence could downplay the stress visiting her father has on her.

"Hinata, there's six more hours until it's Noon. Maybe you should try to get some sleep." Sasuke was trying to be supportive of Hinata but at this point, he was starting to get fed up with her.

"No I-I'm okay," she said softly, continuing to pace.

"Fine, whatever," Sasuke said in an annoyed tone. He turned to walk back down the hall. "Could you stop pacing?" he asked as he headed towards the bathroom. "It's annoying. And you look stupid doing it."

Hinata paused when she heard those words, her face showing signs of sadness. "Sorry," she whimpered. Giving her feet a break, she sat down on the couch and stared out the window, waiting for a moment she dreaded to face.

After leaving Hinata in the living room, Sasuke mentally kicked himself. _Maybe I shouldn't have said that,_' he thought as he stood in the shower, letting the hot water run off his body. _Then again, she needed to stop. Kami, she's annoying. _Sasuke finished his shower, got dressed and moved to the kitchen to get some breakfast, sneaking a peek at Hinata as he passed by the living room.

Hinata hadn't moved an inch – she remained seated on the couch, still looking out of the window. Sasuke just shook his head; he didn't exactly know what Hinata was going through and felt for her but at the same time, she aggravated him. His attempts to cheer her up had been futile so far and it frustrated him. Sasuke ultimately decided that leaving her alone was the best option. Despite his decision, he still wanted to keep an eye on her. Therefore, he sat at the head of their table, giving him a perfect view of Hinata on the couch. For the next few hours, Hinata fidgeted on the couch, frequently switching from looking out at the street from the window to looking down with a dejected look on her face, as if she had lost a battle with herself.

At 11:30, Hinata finally broke the silence between the two. "We should head over to the compound now," she said softly, standing up from the couch. "Father doesn't like people who come late."

Sasuke nodded, getting up from the table silently. He headed over to the front door and opened it, heading out first. Hinata followed soon after him, closing the door behind her. The fresh late morning air hit her as she stood on the porch and she quietly took a deep breath of it in. Around her, everything looked radiant and beautiful, exactly how it should look at this time of year. Yet, she could only enjoy this for a moment, as thoughts of what she'd be going through in half an hour's time flooded her brain again. She stepped around Sasuke and started leading the way to the compound.

* * *

><p>The walk to the compound was quiet and uneventful. The pair passed many they knew as they walked the streets of Kohona, giving a polite smile or nod to acknowledge those they knew but barely said a word to each other as they walked side by side. Sasuke watched Hinata for most of the walk, taking note of her emotions. The dejected look she had on her face a couple of hours before had dissipated; now her face was full with determination, as if she was setting out to go on a mission.<p>

Soon enough, Sasuke and Hinata had made it to the compound. About to step inside of the gates, Sasuke paused when he saw Hinata out of the corner of his eye, frozen in place. The determination she had plastered on her face was now gone. Instead, her eyes were wide and full of fear. Turning to her, Sasuke said "Hinata, let's go. Your father's waiting." He was still a bit annoyed that his previous attempt to cheer her up didn't work so he scarcely felt sympathy for her at this point.

"I can't," Hinata whispered. "I know e-exactly what he's going to say when w-we get in there and –" Hinata took a second to calm herself down so she could get rid of her stutter. "And I don't want to hear it," she finished, looking straight at him, making eye contact for the first time all day.

"What exactly is he going to say?" Sasuke asked, curious to know what she thought was going to happen. As quickly as she made she made eye contact with Sasuke, she broke it. Looking down at the ground, she shook her head, refusing to answer his question. Sasuke sighed and rolled his eyes. "Hinata look, I…" he trailed off, stopping himself before he said anything too mean. For some reason, he couldn't bring himself to tell her off for being a coward. He looked around at his surroundings, planning his next move. His eyes honed on to a patch of flowers growing by the spot where Hinata was standing. Not thinking about it too much, Sasuke picked one of the flowers growing by her feet, stood up straight and handed it to her.

"Here," he said, holding the delicate flower in front of him. Hinata looked at the flower in his hand, surprised that Sasuke would do such a thing. "Sasuke…I don't understand…"

"You like flowers don't you?" Sasuke answered briskly. Hinata nodded. "Then take it already."

Reaching her hand towards his, Hinata took the flower from Sasuke's hand, brushing fingers with him. Feeling her touch sent a jolt up his spine and suddenly made him forget that he was annoyed at her in the first place. For the first time all morning, Hinata smiled. Her smile was small but it was enough for Sasuke to notice it. Twirling the flower in her hand, she took time to examine it before looking back at Sasuke. "Thank you, Sasuke-kun," she said, tucking the flower on her left ear.

His eyes widening at Hinata's use of the honorific, Sasuke's mind started to race with a plethora of thoughts. However, he didn't have much time to delve into these thoughts for in front of him was a semi-nervous kunoichi making her way inside of the gates. "Sasuke, are you coming?" she asked, turning around, giving him a prodding smile. Sasuke took a moment to let himself get distracted by his wife's beauty. Although her physical demeanor had not gone through any changes, her mental demeanor had changed just a bit, which caused her outward appearance to change as well. The noon sunlight hit her skin in such a way that made it sparkle and the smile she was flashing made her already bright eyes even brighter. Despite her nervousness and worries, she was radiant and Sasuke couldn't take his eyes off of her.

"Sasuke?" Hinata's voice interjected into Sasuke's thoughts, taking him out of his trance. "Coming," he replied, moving his feet quickly to catch up to her.

Once in the compound, Neji, Hinata's cousin, ushered Hinata and Sasuke into one of the compound's many meeting rooms. Together, they sat on one side of the table in the room, the other side meant for Hinata's father.

"Neji, do you know why father wanted to meet with us today?" Hinata asked him, wanting to know if her suspicions on today's meeting were correct.

"I am not sure. I didn't even know he called you here today until I spotted the two of you walking into the compound," Neji replied, looking at Hinata.

"Oh," Hinata said, her voice sounding sad. She looked down with a worried expression, starting to get more nervous again since her meeting with Hiashi was nearing.

"Don't worry Hinata, I'm sure it's nothing," he said reassuringly. Neji moved to her side and placed his hand on her shoulder. Hinata smiled sadly at the gesture. "Thank you Neji, but you and I both know he wouldn't call Sasuke and I here for nothing."

"You're right," a voice interrupted. Hinata gasped and stiffened at the sound of the new voice in the room. She quickly got up from her seat and turned to the door. "Hello father," she said politely, bowing to greet him. Sasuke did the same as not to be disrespectful.

Hiashi nodded at the two of them in response to the bowing. "Neji, you can go now." "Right," he said, leaving the room quickly. Hiashi walked over to the other side of the table and sat down, allowing Sasuke and Hinata to do the same.

"How are you father?" Hinata asked right away, not wanting any silence between them as the silence would only intimidate her even more.

Hiashi gave Hinata a glance. "What's that in your hair?" Hinata's hand moved to her left ear and touched the flower Sasuke had given her moments earlier. "A f-flower. Sasuke found it outside and –" "Take it out. It looks silly." Sadly, Hinata took the flower from her hair and placed it in her lap.

"Anyways, I'm fine. I see you still have a problem with stuttering," he replied simply. Hinata looked down, embarrassed that she still was having trouble controlling her stutter.

"Only sometimes," she whispered in a barely audible tone. _I wouldn't have such a hard time getting over my stutter if I had a father who didn't stress me out so much,_ Hinata though to herself. Sasuke looked over at her. He wanted to do something to console her but he knew that it wouldn't be proper to do such a thing in front of her father.

"Hmm. Well, I suspect you're both wondering why I asked you both here today," Hiashi started. Hinata brought her head up to face him and she nodded. Sasuke just looked at him, waiting for him to continue.

Hiashi turned his attention to the sullen ninja in front of him. "Sasuke, how long have you two been married?" Although he didn't show it, Hiashi's question caught Sasuke a bit off guard. He rarely thought of such things because he didn't think it was important. Plus, the fact that what they shared could hardly be called a marriage helped him not think of it often.

Hinata looked at him with a worried look. She knew that he wouldn't know how long they've been married for. About to open her mouth to answer for her husband, Sasuke spoke up. "It'll be nine months next week," he said as if it were nothing. The look on Hinata's face was one of shock and surprise. _He actually remembered._

"Correct," Hiashi said. "Nine months is quite a while isn't it?" Sasuke shrugged while Hinata didn't respond.

"Now I know every couple needs time to adjust to being married but the fact that it has been nine months and there hasn't been any news is a bit distressing."

"News? What type of news are you expecting from us?" Sasuke asked, not knowing what Hiashi was hinting at. Hinata, however, knew exactly where this conversation was going. _Kami, please don't let him ask what I think he's going to ask, _she prayed quietly to herself.

Hiashi sighed. Looking straight at the pair, he finally asked his question. "I guess I'll be frank – why aren't you and my daughter expecting yet?"

Hinata let out a tiny worried noise while Sasuke looked so shocked that he looked like he was going to tip over. _I knew it – I knew he was going to go there, _Hinata told herself. She looked down at the table, not knowing what to say or how to react.

"What?" was all Sasuke managed to get out of his mouth.

"Nine months is enough time to conceive a child. The whole point of your union was to unite our two clans. This is pointless if you two don't have children." Hiashi said all of this as if it was a known fact, something that made Sasuke a bit angry.

"Don't we get to decide how much time is enough time to decide to have a child?" Sasuke asked, looking directly at Hiashi.

"I suppose so, but how long are you two planning to wait?"

Sasuke didn't answer. He knew the answer to this question but figured revealing it wouldn't help matters at all.

"Actually father, Sasuke and I haven't really…d-discussed this topic yet," Hinata interjected carefully, slowly looking up at her father again. "But we have talked about other things. Like expanding our g-garden in the yard."

Hiashi now had his attention turned to his eldest daughter. He has a displeased look on his face. "And why haven't you talked about this yet Hinata?"

"Because…b-because…" Hinata desperately searched her mind for a lie but couldn't seem to find one. Her attempt at dodging the subject had failed. At the moment, all she could focus on was the increasingly displeased look her father was giving her and Sasuke.

"Because we just want things to happen when they happen," Sasuke finished, looking at Hiashi. Hinata looked over at Sasuke, her eyes full of relief when he managed to come up with something to say.

"Not much of planners are you?" Sasuke's anger grew even more; he didn't like the fact that every comment that came out of his mouth was just another jab at either Hinata or himself. _'No wonder she didn't want to come over.'_

"Well, nevertheless, I still don't understand why we haven't received an announcement yet. Now I don't care to know the details of your personal lives –" Hinata's eyes widened in embarrassment at even the mention of their personal lives. "Father…"

"But I do know how things work. Hinata should be pregnant by now. Unless…"

"Unless what?" Sasuke asked, tired of all of his questioning.

"Unless _someone_ has fertility issues." His eyes moved to Sasuke when he said this. Up until this point, Sasuke was very good at keeping his cool but for Hiashi to suggest a problem with his fertility infuriated him to no end.

"Now you listen here, who are you to suggest that I'm having trouble getting your daughter pregnant? It's none of your business what Hinata and I do and I'd rather you – "

"Or perhaps it is my own daughter who is the cause of the trouble." Hiashi's attention was now on Hinata, which made her tremble. He wasn't phased by Sasuke's anger at all, ignoring it as if it were nothing.

"You know, Hyugas don't take this long to get pregnant. I should've figure that you were to blame." Hinata looked down as tears started to pool in her eyes. Struggling to keep the tears from falling, she said nothing. She didn't want to risk talking, only to stutter halfway through her sentence.

"You've been such a disappointment to this clan for your entire life. I'm glad we have Hanabi; without her, I don't know how I would deal with having such a shameful daughter. Sometimes I truly regret –"

"That's ENOUGH," Sasuke shouted, interrupting Hiashi mid-sentence. Sasuke was already fed-up with his antics but now Hiashi was taking this too far and he wouldn't stand for this any longer.

"I am not going to sit here while you insult my wife like this! You call yourself the leader of the great Hyuga clan but you're nothing but a coward." Hiashi just sat there, listening to what Sasuke was spewing from his mouth.

"A true leader would accept the faults of the clan as his own, not blame people for their failings. If Hinata is the disappointment you say she is, then maybe you should look at yourself and think about how you contributed to making her that way. But I know that Hinata is not that at all. Hinata is far from a disappointment – she is one of the most caring people in the entire village. She will not only care for you but she will put her life on the line for you, also making her one of the bravest kunoichi to ever walk the streets of Kohona. She goes to great lengths just to make the people she cares deeply about happy.

Sasuke turned away from him and scoffed. "And you, her own father, can't even see that. You're pathetic."

Hiashi, finished listening to Sasuke's rant, calmly stood up from his sitting position. "Leave," he said sternly. "And don't you think about coming back here."

"With pleasure." With that, Sasuke took Hinata's hand and lead her out of the room and out of the compound.

"I hate him," Sasuke said as they walked home, his hand still holding on tightly to Hinata's. She took notice of this and wondered silently whether he was holding her hand because he wanted to or because he was too mad to even notice his grip still held her hand tightly. Hinata, not knowing how to articulate herself at this moment, stayed mute for the entire walk back to their house. Once inside, she went to the bedroom and closed the door, leaving Sasuke by himself.

Sasuke didn't mind being by himself at this particular moment since he was still mad at the ordeal. He decided to throw himself into his training; walking into the backyard, he took off his shirt and started kicking and throwing punches at the dummy in front of him.

Hinata spent the rest of the afternoon and part of the evening thinking about what happened at the compound. She thought about her father and how rude and demanding he was to both her and Sasuke. She also thought about how she acted during the entire meeting; Hinata wished that she hadn't acted like a coward and spoke up like she always dreamed of doing while in his presence. Most of all, she thought about the way Sasuke acted; she expected Sasuke to get mad (when dealing with Hiashi, she didn't blame him). What she didn't expect was the way he defended her and pulled her out of the situation. She knew that protecting others is a basic ninja instinct but Sasuke did it with such care that it seemed as if he actually cared about her well-being.

Hinata knew that she couldn't spend the entire day locked up in her bedroom. She also knew that she had to thank Sasuke somehow. _I should cook him dinner. He likes my cooking. _She looked over at the alarm clock by the bed, a sad expression washing over her face when she saw the time. _8 PM already?! Now I can't cook anything except for ramen._

Sighing, Hinata walked out of the bedroom and into the kitchen to whip up some instant ramen. From the kitchen, Hinata looked out of the window over the sink to find Sasuke, still outside training. It didn't take long for the ramen to finish cooking so she journeyed into the backyard to tell Sasuke that dinner was ready.

She headed towards him slowly, watching his swift movements while she did. Hinata, always wanting to better her skills, couldn't help but be mesmerized by Sasuke's attacks. He moved with not only fierceness, but with grace and finesse, something she thought she lacked greatly. Seeing the body in the distance move increasingly closer to his space, Sasuke slowed down and eventually stopped. He looked at the dummy in front of him - it was so ragged that it was falling to pieces. He turned to face Hinata, who blushed when she looked into his eyes.

"Hi Sasuke," she said softly. Although she was blushing, her eyes never left his, something he thought was peculiar, considering her blushes tend to indicate her shyness. However, he didn't think much about it.

"Hi Hinata," he replied plainly.

She let a couple of seconds of silence pass between them before she continued speaking. "You look exhausted." Indeed he did – his toned chest was glistening from all the sweat that accumulated during his training session and he was breathing heavily. Hinata's eyes moved up and down his chest, unknowingly checking him out.

Sasuke saw what her eyes were doing and smirked. "You like seeing me sweaty huh?"

Hinata blushed even more and started talking quickly. "No! I mean…yes…I mean…are you hungry? I stayed in the bedroom too long so all I had time to cook was some ramen."

Sasuke made a face which Hinata was anticipating. "I know it's not your favorite but you should eat. It's been a long day."

He knew she was right. Sasuke picked up his shirt off of the ground and started walking towards the house, Hinata following right behind him. Once they got inside, she gave him a bowl of the ramen before getting one herself. They both sat down at their dining room table across from each other. Even though he wasn't the biggest fan of ramen, Sasuke's hunger got the best of him and he began chowing down immediately. Hinata followed suit, eating quickly even though she wasn't that hungry. They both finished their meals swiftly, leaving Hinata little time to think about what to say to Sasuke.

They sat looking at each other from across the table for some minutes before Sasuke finally broke the silence. "I think I'm going to take a shower," he said quietly, standing up from the table.

"Wait!" Hinata said, standing up at the same time at him. Her voice startled him, causing his eyes to widen a bit. Embarrassed, she realized the tone of her voice and apologized. "Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you. I just…I…I…" Not able to form a sentence, Hinata rushed up to Sasuke and embraced him in a tight hug. Tears streamed down her face as she buried herself into his sweaty chest.

"Thank you for today Sasuke. The way you shouted at father…I don't think anyone's done that for me before!" she said the latter part of herself with a sad chuckle. "You were so brave. Braver than I ever was against him."

Sasuke slowly found himself wrapping his arms around Hinata's body. "You're my wife Hinata – I'll defend you against anyone."

Hinata's eyes locked with his after he said this. "You really mean that Sasuke?" she asked, a bit in disbelief he would say such a thing.

"I wouldn't say it if I didn't mean it," he replied plainly. Sasuke looked down at Hinata and when he did, his body was overwhelmed with warmth he wasn't quite used to feeling.

Sasuke knew he cared about Hinata immensely, more than he would ever admit out loud. But these feelings made him uncomfortable, especially since he knew Hinata didn't feel the same way about him. Feeling conflicted, his eyes turned away from Hinata and he broke their embrace. A bit startled by the abrupt ending of their hug, Hinata tried searching Sasuke's eyes for answers.

"Sasuke…I –"

"I'm going to take a shower. Goodnight Hinata."

Sasuke walked down the corridor, entered the bathroom and closed the door, leaving Hinata with conflicting feelings of her own.

* * *

><p>After his long shower, Sasuke walked to the spare bedroom and rummaged through the pile of clothes he had in the small chest of drawers for a pair of pajamas to sleep in.<p>

_Crap, _Sasuke thought to himself. _I can't find any clean ones._

Sasuke knew that Hinata might have another pair of his in the master bedroom but going there would mean interacting with her once more, something that he didn't want to do at the moment. Standing there in his towel, he debated just sleeping naked but soon ruled that out, knowing he'd feel uncomfortable doing so. Knowing that there was no way around this, Sasuke sighed as he opened the door of his room and walked across the hallway to Hinata's – their – bedroom. He knocked on the door but walked in before waiting for answer.

When he walked in, he found Hinata brushing her hair in front of their mirror. His eyes widened when he noticed what she was wearing – a soft white babydoll nightgown that didn't leave much to the imagination. Hinata hadn't realized that Sasuke had walked through the door. She was humming to herself quietly, her mind preoccupied with her own thoughts. Not wanting to bother her, Sasuke tried to walk quietly towards the closet but as soon as he took one step, the floor creaked and Hinata's eyes snapped to his direction.

"Sasuke? What are you doing here?" Hinata moved her eyes down his body, noticing that he was only wearing a towel. She managed to snap them back up before he noticed she was looking at him.

"I don't have any clean pajamas," he said, looking straight at her. "So I came in here to look for a clean pair." He then motioned his hands toward her outfit. "Where did you get that?"

Hinata's cheeks turned red with embarrassment. "I um…it was a present from some of the girls. It was supposed to be for…"

Sasuke didn't say anything, his stare waiting for a response to his question. She nervously chuckled before answering him. "It was supposed to be for our wedding night."

"Oh."

"Yeah."

"So. Why are you wearing it now?"

"I forgot to do laundry. That's probably why you can't find any pajama pants. I'm sorry."

A moment of silence passed between them but Hinata quickly picked the conversation up again. "I think there's an extra pair in the closet. I-I can get them for you."

Hinata scolded herself silently as she stuttered. _He's just in a towel, get it together._ Getting up from the bench, she slowly walked over to the closet. She could feel Sasuke's eyes following her movements, which made her nervous but also excited her. She took a deep breath to clear her head before standing on her tip toes, trying to reach the pajamas on the top shelf.

The sight somewhat amused Sasuke, as he was taller than her, meaning he could easily reach the pajama pants. However, the sight also excited Sasuke; the way Hinata stood up on her tip toes made her already short nightgown ride up ever so slightly, which caused his imagination to run with thoughts of her moving on him.

"Do you want any help?" Sasuke asked with a smirk.

Even though she wasn't looking at him, Hinata could just tell by the sound of his voice that he was enjoying watching her struggle. She thought about accepting his offer but she was feeling stubborn. "No. I'm fine. Thanks though."

After watching her struggle for another minute, Sasuke took a step and moved closer to where she was standing. He softly put his hands on Hinata's waist, causing Hinata to blush again. "Don't worry," Sasuke said softly, sensing her slight discomfort. "I'm just going to lift you up."

"O-Okay." True to his word, Sasuke lifted her off the ground, enabling her to reach the pajama pants. Once she grabbed them, Sasuke set her down, keeping his hands on her waist.

Hinata turned around to face him and found Sasuke's deep stare on her eyes. "There you go," she said, looking into his eyes back with a soft smile on her face. "Clean pajama pants."

Despite what Hinata had said, Sasuke didn't budge. Instead, he continued to stare deeply into her eyes. Giving Hinata's sides a soft squeeze, Sasuke tried to control his already racing thoughts from going any further. He could feel himself getting excited, which was obvious by his slightly tented towel. Confused, Hinata tried speaking again. "Sasuke? Did you hear me?" she asked as she raised her hands up a bit more to gesture towards the clothing in her hands.

Sasuke's dark eyes gazed at her with such a burning intensity that it made Hinata feel hot all over. Sasuke's hold on Hinata's waist tightened again as he took in every inch of her body in front of her. Sasuke held everything he felt for her during their nine months of marriage but tonight, he was finally tired of fighting it.

With one swift movement, Sasuke pulled Hinata into him, causing her breasts to be pushed up against his chest. She let out a sudden gasp, which Sasuke liked hearing.

"S-Sasuke? What are you doing?" Sasuke moved his hands from Hinata's waist and took the pajama pants from her grasp. Tossing them away from her, he kissed her forehead and moved his hands to the straps on her babydoll nightgown.

"I've decided I don't want those anymore," Sasuke said simply.

"Well, what do you then?" Hinata asked innocently. Sasuke pushed her body into hers even more to give her a hint of what he meant. Feeling his excitement, her blush grew and she moved her hands to her face in an attempt to cool down her cheeks.

"You," Sasuke finally answered. Before Hinata could respond, Sasuke pulled down on the straps of her nightgown, freeing her breasts from their silky cage. Hinata let out another soft gasp. Instinctively, her arms swiftly went across her chest, attempting to hide her chest from his eyes. Getting down on his knees, Sasuke took her arms in his hands and gently moved them away from her body. Looking up at Hinata, he kept his eyes on hers as he moved his mouth to her right breast. Covering her nipple, Sasuke started sucking while running his tongue up and down her skin. He felt her body start to respond as he felt the area he was licking start to harden in his mouth.

Hinata's face, although a continuous soft red, was full with excitement. She hadn't let anyone come this close to her before and now that it was finally happening, she was curious to know what would happen next. Sasuke stopped for a second to speak and Hinata frowned softly, missing the sensation already. "Should I stop?" he asked with his all too familiar smirk, knowing that she was enjoying herself.

"No," she replied softly. "And don't think I didn't notice that smirk of yours. You should stop being so cheeky." Sasuke raised an eyebrow when Hinata said this – she wasn't usually this blunt with him.

Sasuke smirked again as he stood up from the floor. "So this is what happens when you're aroused," he whispered into her ear. "I like this side of you Hinata."

Hinata's eyes flared with a fire and she quickly turned away from him, folding her arms across her chest to further show her annoyance with him. "You're so annoying Sasuke," she said.

With every word of sass that came out of her mouth, Sasuke got more and more aroused. "I know," he said as he moved his hands to her backside. "It's okay if you turn around. I like this view too" he added, lifting up the bottom of her nightgown.

"Sasuke Uchiha, you are a pervert," Hinata replied as she half-heartedly tried brushing away his wandering hand, still facing away from him. Sasuke shrugged, not thinking too much of the statement. "Maybe so," he started to say as he moved his hands back to her chest. "But I think you like it." Sasuke's hands started to work on Hinata's breasts, fondling them as he moved his mouth to her neck, kissing it all over.

Hinata was annoyed at the fact that Sasuke took so much pleasure in teasing her. Still, she couldn't help but let out a quiet moan as she felt her husband's hands roam about her chest. Sasuke turned her around and planted a deep kiss on Hinata's lips. She leaned into the kiss, placing her hands on his bare chest.

Sasuke slowly started walking backwards, leading both of them to the bed. Still kissing, he got on to the bed first, lying on his back; all the while bring Hinata with him, placing her on top of him. He broke their kiss and took off Hinata's nightgown, leaving her in her soft white panties. Hinata looked at him and then down at the towel he was still wearing. She noticed his arousal and her eyes widened but she stopped herself from blushing. Her hands traveled down south, reaching the top of his towel. She looked up at Sasuke again, silently asking for permission to remove the only piece of covering he had.

Sasuke sat up and took Hinata's hands into his own. "Hinata, I don't want to do this unless you want to," he said softly. The way he looked at Hinata at this moment was a way he hadn't looked at her before; his eyes were so full of truth and caring. It was at this moment that Hinata knew that Sasuke was serious about what he was saying.

"I want to Sasuke," she replied. Learning forward, she gave him a kiss on his lips. Her hands moved to the top of his towel once again and with a couple tugs, his towel came off, leaving his body completely exposed. The sight was new to Hinata, which explained her cute blush. Sasuke kiss her cheeks and rolled on top of her. Hooking his fingers into the sides of her panties, he pulled them down gently and tossed them away.

Hinata looked away from him when he did this, which perplexed him. He bent down and kissed her neck. "I'm sorry. Did I do something wrong?" Hinata turned her head back and shook it. "No, it's just that…wait – did you just say 'I'm sorry'?"

Sasuke smirked. "You should know by now that I don't repeat myself." Hinata couldn't help but smile at Sasuke's cheeky response. "Fine. You didn't do anything wrong. It's just that…do I look okay?"

When she asked this question, Sasuke's eyes widen in disbelief – he couldn't understand why she would feel this way. "Hinata, you're beautiful," he replied simply, making Hinata's eyes twinkle. "Y-you really think so Sasuke?"

Sasuke nodded, kissing her on the lips once more. He kissed her for a couple minutes before he started leaving kisses elsewhere, slowly making a trail down her body. Hinata closed her eyes as she felt his mouth move from her neck, to her breasts, to right below her belly button. Her eyes fluttered open to take a look at what he was going to do next.

He looked up at Hinata for a brief moment as his mouth jumped down to her thigh. There, he started planting kisses on her skin, just as he did on her chest and stomach. Sasuke's left his trail of kisses at a painfully slow pace, heightening the anticipation for his wife. When he met the end of her thigh, Sasuke hesitated for a moment, which made Hinata's heart jump. Slowly, he moved his lips and softly brushed them against the warmth between Hinata's thighs.

"Sasuke!" Hinata softly gasped, enjoying the sensation. However, her wave of pleasure didn't last for long; just as quickly he had his lips on her, he removed them, moving his lips to her other thigh. A tiny frown appeared on Hinata's face but Sasuke didn't pay too much attention to it – he had a plan.

Just like he had on her other thigh, he moved his lips up and around, leaving kisses on her supple skin. Once he was finished, he started to kiss her hip bone deliberately taking his time again. "Sasuke…please…the wait is too much…" she said quietly, becoming impatient with his teasing.

Finally obeying her desires, Sasuke placed his mouth in between her thighs, spreading his tongue all over her wetness. Hinata let out a soft moan as Sasuke's tongue moved up and down, increasing her desire for him which each passing moment. For a second, his tongue slipped inside of her, causing her to let out a sharp breath. "Please don't stop Sasuke," she moaned, touching his hair with her hand.

Sasuke gave her a couple more licks before moving away from her, making her frown once again. "Sasuke, I don't appreciate this teasing," she said as he sat up to look at her. "I mean, would you like it if I – " Sasuke cut off her sentence with a fierce kiss, allowing Hinata to taste herself. She leaned into it and moved her tongue into his mouth. Their bodies tangled up and locked together as their tongues wrestled with each other, both of them rolling around in the sheets as they kissed passionately. Once Hinata landed on top, she broke the kiss and smiled at the man underneath her.

"Since you like being such a tease, I'm going to give you a taste of your own medicine." Hinata moved down Sasuke's body, keeping eye contact as she did. Sasuke smirked at Hinata's challenge. "Oh really, I'd like to see you – " A sharp groan left his mouth as soon as he felt Hinata's mouth move down on him. "Fuck, I didn't know you were going to dive in like that."

Hinata smiled with him still in her mouth. She moved her mouth off of him, leaving her tongue on his sensitive head. She began running her tongue around it, purposely being slow about it. Tracing circles on him, Hinata watched Sasuke's facial expression constantly switch from one of pleasure to one of frustration. "Hinata please, you're driving me crazy."

"It's not so nice when it's you huh?" Hinata smirked at him, placing her mouth back on Sasuke's shaft. As she started sucking him again, Sasuke let out another groan. He looked down at Hinata and shifted away from her. "You know, as much as I like you doing that," he said as Hinata gave him a confused look. "I'm going to love doing this more." Pulling her up, Sasuke rolled on top of her and, after a couple strokes in between her wetness, slipped his index finger inside of her.

Hinata's eyes widened as she let out a loud moan. Sasuke himself let out a soft groan as he felt her muscles tighten on his finger. "You're so tight," he said with a husky tone. With every movement his finger made, Hinata let out a loud moan. "Ah fuck!" she exclaimed as she tightly gripped the sheets beside her, feeling Sasuke push his finger as far as he could.

Upon hearing this, Sasuke raised an eyebrow at Hinata and smirked. Hinata covered her mouth in embarrassment; she never did like to swear. "Someone has quiet the potty mouth," he said as his finger pushed inside of her quickly. "Fuck!" Hinata exclaimed again. Sasuke couldn't help but to grin at this point. Hearing Hinata lose control turned him on immensely. Noticing Sasuke's grin, Hinata's face furrowed in annoyance. "Fuck you," she said though a gasp. Sasuke's eyes widened at her use of profanity against him. "That's really sexy," he said with a smile, moving his face closer to hers. "Say it again." She bit her bottom lip in to prevent anything else from slipping out of her mouth. Sasuke noticed this and started moving his finger faster inside of her. She bit her lip even harder but her resolve didn't last for long; after a couple strokes, Hinata let out another "Fuck you" and Sasuke lost it.

Crashing his lips upon hers, Sasuke kissed Hinata with all the passion pent up inside of him. Keeping his finger moving down there, he caught every one of Hinata's moans in his moan, their kisses filled with the vibrations her sounds made. Sasuke grew harder as Hinata's walls increased their grip on his finger, tensing with every movement his finger made. He wanted nothing more than to enter her at this point but he wanted to wait for the perfect signal from his wife.

Sasuke broke the kiss and moved his mouth back down between her thighs. His tongue started flicking at her clit as he managed to fit another finger inside of Hinata's tight core. Hinata's moans flooded the room as her body became overwhelmed with the pleasure Sasuke was giving her. Eyes closed, she grabbed the sheets as she began climbing towards her climax. "Sasuke…please…I need you now," she said in between her moans and short jagged breaths.

Once he heard those words, Sasuke stopped – that was the signal he was looking for. Giving her warmth a final sweet kiss, he placed his body on top of hers once more. He positioned himself right at her entrance, pressing his shaft against her softly. Hovering over her face, Sasuke leaned down and gave her a kiss on her cheek and her lips. "Are you ready?" he asked, wanting to make sure she knew what she wanted. Hinata nodded, tilting her head up to kiss him back. Taking her hands in his, Sasuke placed their joined grip above Hinata's head.

Keeping his eyes locked on hers, he pressed against her a few times before her body finally granted him access. Pushing his way until he couldn't anymore, Sasuke kissed Hinata sweetly. Once he was stopped, he took in Hinata's facial expression. "Are you okay?" he whispered into her ear. "Yes, I'm okay. It doesn't hurt that much." Hinata gave him a soft smile and Sasuke kissed the tip of her nose. Even though Hinata said that she was okay, he waited a couple minutes to let her get used to the feeling of him inside of her. During this time, Sasuke nuzzled his face into Hinata's neck as he enjoyed the feeling of finally being connected with Hinata. A feeling he thought he'd never get to enjoy, Sasuke was completely wrapped up in the emotion of it all.

After some time, Sasuke started to gently move inside of Hinata, keeping eye contact with her to make sure she was okay. Letting out breathy moans, Hinata unlocked hands with Sasuke so that she was able to cup his cheek. "I'm okay Sasuke," she said as she let out a moan. "You can go faster."

Hearing this, Sasuke picked up the pace. He started thrusting deep and hard, making Hinata moan out his name ever time he filled her. Gripping his back for leverage, Hinata threw her head back into the pillow as she felt Sasuke channel his passion into his thrusts. "Sasuke…Harder!" she cried out. Sasuke grabbed her waist for leverage and slide in and out in her deeply and with more force, letting out a tight moan every time he felt his entire length covered by her wetness.

A couple of minutes passed and Sasuke felt himself getting close. _Shit,_ Sasuke thought to himself. _I can't finish, not yet. She has to go first._ Slowing down his thrusts to calm down a bit, he repositioned he and his wife so that she was on top of him. Hinata placed her hands on his chest but gave Sasuke an uncertain look. "Sasuke, I don't know if I'll be good on top," she said, looking down shyly. Sasuke grabbed Hinata's ass with both of his hands and gave it a tight squeeze. "Don't worry – you'll be amazing. Just keep your eyes on me."

Hinata nodded and started moving herself up and down on Sasuke slowly. Letting out a soft moan, Hinata closed her eyes and let herself relax. Quickly getting used to being on top, she sped up her pace. "Ugh, Hinata if you keep moving like that I'll – " Sasuke interrupted himself with his own moan. He started thrusting up into Hinata to match her movements on top of him, making them both moan even more. The room, hot with their desire for one another, was filled with the sounds of their moans and groans, each of them enjoying the other's movements.

Hinata softly gripped Sasuke's chest as her walls started to tighten down below. "Fuck," she moaned breathily. Her face, already red from working so hard, became even redder when she swore again. "I hate swearing so much. Sasuke I'm – " Hinata couldn't finish her sentence as she was overcome by a pleasure she had never felt before. Ripples of excitement ran throughout her body as she slammed herself down on her husband. Taken off guard by Hinata's orgasm, Sasuke soon followed her; as soon as she slammed down on top of him, he lost it. With one last hard thrust, he let himself go, spilling himself inside of her.

Her exhausted body collapsed on top of his and she gripped their shoulders. The room was silent except for the sound of them attempting to catch their breaths. Sasuke pulled out from Hinata and placed her next to him, pulling her body into his, enjoying the warmth her body exuded. His eyes, closed until this point, fluttered open to take a look at how his wife was doing. Even in her exhausted state, Hinata looked beautiful. Her body glistened with sweat, her chest moving up and down with the release of her breaths. Sasuke leaned towards her and kissed her forehead, her nose and finally her lips. With this, a smile formed on Hinata's lips.

"Sasuke-kun?" Hinata spoke softly, completely tired. "Hmm?" Sasuke replied, stroking Hinata's hair tenderly.

"I love you."

Sasuke's body stiffened when her words touched his ears. Searching her face for answers in their dark room, Sasuke knew his efforts were futile; the effects of what they had done had gotten to her and she had fallen into a deep slumber. With Hinata still in his arms, Sasuke turned and looked up at the ceiling. Hinata's words had touched him deeply. Yet, he didn't believe them at all.

* * *

><p><strong>This is the longest chapter I've ever written! Did you enjoy the lemon I put in there? Let me tell you, that was NOT easy to write at all. However, I think I was over-thinking it too much. Anyways, to those who are still reading my story - Thank you! And to those who have just stumbled upon my story - Welcome! Don't worry though, this story is far from over :) P.S Always remember to play, laugh, grow and love!<strong>


	9. Confrontation

**Surprise, Surprise! I actually updated this story in less than a month! Oh, and happy anniversary to my story! I officially published my story one year ago today (January 7th, 2014)! Enjoy :)**

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><p><strong><span>Chapter 9 - Confrontation<span>**

When Hinata woke up the next morning, her mind immediately flooded with a replay of her actions from last night, leaving her with a soft pink blush on her face. Despite her slight shyness with what she did, Hinata was happy with what happened. This was made apparent by the silly but cute grin that had formed on her lips.

What made Hinata happy most of all was that she felt her actions brought her closer to Sasuke. _I know we agreed to act as roommates…but I feel like we could actually be…more! _she thought to herself, eyes still closed. Wanting to feel Sasuke's touch again, Hinata reached across the bed to pull herself closer to her husband. When her hand was met with a cold pillow, her eyes quickly fluttered open. Confused, she rubbed her eyes and sat up in her bed. It took her a minute for her eyes to adjust to the sunlight in the room. When they did, she saw that Sasuke was nowhere to be found. Getting up from her bed, she walked over to her closet and took out a robe to cover herself before stepping out of the room.

"Sasuke?" Hinata called out. No answer. She tried again but still heard nothing back. Instead, she was only met with the sound of the wooden floors creaking underneath her feet. "I wonder where he's gone…" she said out loud to herself, walking back to the bedroom. A hint of worry washed over her as her mind went to the extreme, thinking something bad had happened to her husband. Shaking her head at her silliness, she quickly pushed those thoughts out of her mind. She had to be rational - Sasuke did often left the house without telling Hinata where he was going.

_He'll be back._

As she walked back to bed, Hinata took a look at herself in the mirror. Her hair, usually straight and neat, was messy with strands sticking up everywhere. However, the rest of her appearance remained the same as before; her eyes still retained their brightness, her body was curvy in all the same places and her face was still youthful. Hinata was a bit surprised when she saw herself in the mirror, not because of her hair, but because she thought that she would look different after what she did. She certainly felt different. After examining herself for quite some time, Hinata decided that she should clean herself up so she walked to the bathroom and prepared herself a nice, hot bath.

* * *

><p>"SASUKE WATCH WHERE YOU'RE AIMING WON'T YA!?" Naruto screamed as he flailed his arms in the air rapidly, dodging Sasuke's throws and punches. For the past two hours, Sasuke had been on the attack and unfortunately, Naruto had willingly agreed to be his target.<p>

Sasuke ignored Naruto's shouts as he charged forward at him once more, aiming his hand to Naruto's gut.

Having enough of this, Naruto managed to catch Sasuke's hand right before it made contact with him. "ARE YOU CRAZY?! STOP HITTING ME!" Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Stop being dramatic. I barely scratched you."

"Yeah well my body says otherwise," Naruto replied with a wince, looking down at himself. Sasuke hadn't managed to cause any permanent damage but Naruto's body was bruised all over. "What's going on with you today?"

Sasuke, being his ever Sasuke self, brushed himself off and looked away from his friend. "Nothing," he replied coolly.

Naruto let out a frustrated sigh. "Look Sasuke, I've let you throw punches at me for two hours and I haven't asked any questions yet. Now I'm bruised all over because of you so cut the crap and just tell me."

Sasuke stayed silent and Naruto just rolled his eyes. "Okay, I don't have time for this. When you actually feel like talking, you can come find me." Naruto started to walk away from him when Sasuke finally spoke.

"How do you know Sakura loves you?" he asked quietly.

Again, Naruto sighed. _This guy…_ he thought to himself. He walked over to where Sasuke was standing and faced him. "What did you say?

"I'm not going to repeat myself," Sasuke replied, locking eyes with Naruto. Even when he wanted help, Sasuke was stubborn about it.

Naruto yelled out and grabbed his hair in frustration. "You're so annoying you know that?! I don't even know why I bother with you sometimes!"

"Because you don't have any other friends," Sasuke said with a smirk.

"Yes I do!"

"No you don't."

"Yes I do! At least I have more than you!"

"That's because I choose not to have friends."

"Okay that's it – I'm done arguing with you. Now what did you ask me before? How do I know if Sakura loves me right?"

Sasuke only gave a slight head nod for confirmation. "Well, that's a dumb question," Naruto started as he walked over to a tree for shade. Sitting underneath the leaves, he continued with his response. "I just know!" Naruto smiled when he said this, which annoyed Sasuke.

Sasuke followed him to the tree but refused to sit down. "But how do you know for sure? What if she's lying to you?"

"Hey, out of all people you should know that Sakura wouldn't lie about that! Who do you think you are accusing her of something like lying huh?!"

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Calm down, I was just asking. You're such a dobe…" Sasuke looked away from Naruto as he sat down next to him. Even though Sasuke tended to act like a jerk, today he knew that he was just lashing out on Naruto when he had done nothing.

_I love you…_ Hinata's words replayed in Sasuke's mind for the hundredth time that day. He desperately wanted to believe what Hinata had said last night but for the life of him, he couldn't. How could Hinata love him? Except for last night, he never showed any signs of affections towards her – he wasn't even nice to her (then again, he wasn't nice to anyone).

_Naruto was always nice to her. Maybe if things were different, maybe she'd be with him. _Hinata deserved more, that Sasuke knew. _She's too nice to want someone like me._ He was afraid she had just uttered those three words in the heat of the moment.

Resting his head against the tree trunk, Sasuke closed his eyes as his thoughts overwhelmed him. He didn't open them again until he heard Naruto speak again. "Everyone in the village knows I'd been in love with Sakura since we were kids. But I didn't know she loved me until she actually said it."

Sasuke turned his head to face Naruto. "That doesn't help at all dobe…" he said sadly.

"I know right? But when it comes to women, especially Sakura, I'm a bit daft," Naruto said this with a chuckle, to which Sasuke couldn't help but smirk back at.

"Who knew you knew the meaning of the word daft?" he asked cheekily.

"Hey, I know things!" Naruto exclaimed.

Sasuke hit him in the head. "Just finish your story already," he responded, curious to know what else Naruto had to say.

"I don't know if this is much of a story," Naruto said with a smile, rubbing the back of his head with his hand. "But I will say this – I think Sakura let me know she loved me before she actually said it out loud."

Sasuke didn't say anything, but when he looked at Naruto, his eyes seemed to be pleading with him. Naruto could sense that something must be bothering him if Sasuke wanted him to keep talking. Naruto thought about asking him if everything was okay between he and Hinata but decided against it. Instead, he just continued with his story.

"It started with the small things," he began. "Like, she would randomly come to my apartment just to say hi. When I asked her why she came, she said she came just because she missed me. Oh, and when she would come over, she always brought over ramen or red bean soup, my favorites!"

"Everyone knows those are your favorite foods Naruto," Sasuke interjected. Naruto shot him a look before he continued.

"Sometimes she'd cook dinner for me without me asking. She's not that great of a cook but she always tried. Something I really loved were her letters – Sakura would write me letters, some four pages long! She always wrote them when I was feeling down about something."

Sasuke again interjected. "Why didn't she just tell you these things in person? It's not like she's shy or anything,"

"I know and that's the thing. She could've told me all those things in person but the fact that she took the time to write out how she felt about me…it really meant a lot. Not many people would've taken the time to encourage me like she did. Honestly, I could go on and on about the little things she did for me – once she even cleaned my bathroom for me! I guess what I'm trying to say Sasuke is… I don't think that there's just one defining thing that lets you know that someone loves you. After a certain point, I think you just know."

The way Naruto's face lit up as he talked about his wife made Sasuke envious. He was envious that he just knew that Sakura loved him. His certainty was something Sasuke wished he had himself when it came to his own wife. "Well, Sakura must love you if she cleaned your bathroom for you." Standing up from his spot, Sasuke looked down at Naruto.

"Hey dobe...thanks," he said. Naruto stood up as well to be at the same level at him. "No problem," he responded with a smile. I meant every word that I said!"

Sasuke began to walk away. The sun was starting to set, meaning he couldn't avoid what was waiting for him at home any longer.

"Hey Sasuke?" Naruto said as Sasuke walked away, making him pause in his stride.

"Yeah?"

"I don't think you should worry about Hinata. I think, no I know she loves you. Hinata is the nicest person in this village. If there's anyone's love you shouldn't doubt, it's definitely hers!"

_Everything's so easy for you isn't it? _Sasuke listened to Naruto's words and let them permeate his mind. Without saying a word, he continued walking away.

* * *

><p>When Sasuke got back to his house, he opened the door and was greeted with the aroma of food. When he entered completely, he saw bowls and plates just full of food. <em>Is she expecting 20 people or something?<em> Hearing the sound of his footsteps, Hinata popped out of the kitchen and her face brightened up immediately.

"H-Hi Sasuke!" she said happily. Hinata had been cooking all day, waiting for Sasuke to come back. Cooking calmed her nerves but she never planned on cooking so much food. Still, she hoped that Sasuke would appreciate the gesture. "I um…I made all your favorite foods! At least, I think they're all your favorites. If you don't like any of them, I can –"

Sasuke began to walk away as Hinata spoke, cutting her off in mid-sentence. "Sasuke? Are you okay?" she called out as he walked down the hallway. When she heard the slam of his bedroom door, Hinata look down at the ground, feeling defeated. She sat at the dinner table for nearly three hours, waiting for Sasuke to emerge from his room.

_Did I do something wrong?_ Hinata asked herself as she sat there, watching the candles she had lit burn down. With a sigh, Hinata finally gave up. She stood from her chair and blew out the candles before putting away the food in the kitchen.

For the next three days, this became Hinata and Sasuke's routine – Sasuke would leave the house before Hinata awoke and when he returned, he went straight to his room, not even pausing for a moment to take a look at his wife.

During this time, Hinata had tried different ways to get Sasuke to talk to her, from standing in front of his bedroom door to wearing a low-cut shirt, something she rarely did. Each day, he would just push her aside and pretend he didn't see her. On day four, Hinata could no longer take the silent treatment. She waited by the door for most of the afternoon, planning to attack right as he entered their house, catching Sasuke off guard. However, in attempt to delay coming home, Sasuke decided to get something to eat with Naruto. It was well past dark by the time he walked through the doorway. Hinata had fallen asleep on the couch, as she had grown tired of waiting for him.

For the first time in four days, Sasuke took a look at his wife. Her hair was in a messy ponytail and she had a bit of drool on the side of her cheek but Sasuke couldn't help but smile seeing her like that. _Unfortunately she's still as beautiful as ever,_ he thought to himself. While he admired her, Hinata's eyes fluttered open as she felt someone looking at her. Sasuke noticed her stirring and quickly walked away before she noticed that he was staring at her.

Hinata could hear footsteps as her eyes adjusted to the room. _Sasuke! I can't believe I fell asleep! _Despite just waking up, Hinata was damned if she was going to let Sasuke get away with not talking to her for another day. Hinata got up from the couch and walked down the hallway to the spare bedroom where Sasuke slept.

She opened the door without knocking and found Sasuke laying on the bed in the dark, looking up at the ceiling. Hinata snapped on the lights in the room to make sure Sasuke would be able to see her. She became annoyed when he didn't budge from the bed even though she had turned on the lights.

"Why have you been avoiding me?" Hinata asked. _It's best not to let your emotions get the best of you. At least not yet._

No answer from Sasuke.

"Did I do something wrong?"

Again, no answer.

Hinata sighed in frustration. "Do you hate me? We haven't even spoken since we..." she trailed off, her embarrassment once getting the best of her.

This got a smirk out of Sasuke, which Hinata noticed from across the room. "We had sex and you still can't say 'it' huh?"

"Damn it Sasuke!" Hinata shouted at him. Her voice surprised Sasuke a bit but it didn't make his coldness waver at all. He sat up on the bed but still refused to look at her, opting to stare at the wall in front of him instead.

Taking a deep breath, Hinata tried speaking again. "Are you done with me now? Just because we… w-we…" For the life of her, Hinata couldn't say what they did despite the fact that she wasn't embarrassed this morning. There was always something about Sasuke that made her nervous. It just happened to be the same thing that excited her when she was around him.

Hinata's hand was balled up into a fist, reflecting her frustration with her husband. "Sasuke I know you're an asshole but you've just been cold. You won't even look at me. Why?"

Sasuke smirked again. "Wow, you actually said the word asshole. Maybe by next year you'll actually be able to say the word sex."

"Okay, I give up," Hinata said, turning away from him. Even though she knew Sasuke was doing this on purpose, Hinata was too frustrated and tired to deal with Sasuke's foolishness anymore. _I just don't understand what I did,_ she thought to herself as she walked out of the door. _The only thing I can think of is – _

Hinata stopped suddenly and rushed back to Sasuke's bedroom. He was back to his original position, lying down on the bed and looking up at the ceiling.

"I know why you're acting this way," she said, a bit too excitedly. A slight smile was on her face as she was feeling proud of herself for figuring out the cause of Sasuke's behavior.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Sasuke said, cool as ever. "I always act like this."

"It's because I said I love you – isn't it?" Hinata asked softly.

Silence enveloped the room as Hinata waited for an answer. Sasuke turned on the bed so that his back was facing his wife, which signaled to her that she was right.

"I knew it," She began as she walked closer to the bed. "Does me saying that bother you?" Sasuke remained silent.

"Maybe me saying that…scares you." Sitting down next to him, Hinata tried to comfort Sasuke by placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Get over yourself," he said in a huff, brushing off Hinata's hand. "It doesn't scare me."

Hinata frowned a bit but she didn't let Sasuke's words deter her from figuring this out. "Then what is it? I'm not going to leave you alone until you tell me."

Sasuke sat up and faced Hinata head on. His eyes were cold and Hinata was taken a back by the darkness in his eyes. "You're a liar."

"Really? W-what exactly did I lie about?" _This is not the time to stutter Hinata!_

"You already know what you lied about so I don't have to explain myself. Plus, you're stuttering again so I know you know you're guilty." Hinata rolled her eyes at Sasuke. "You're being completely irrational and you're acting like a child. H-How about you just act your age and tell me what's go-"

"You don't love me," Sasuke said stoically, cutting Hinata off. You don't even know what love is."

Hinata's eyes widened in disbelief when he said this. "You have no right to say that!" she exclaimed. "Absolutely no right!"

"Actually I do," he responded, not breaking their gaze. "Because you saying you love me pertains to me. So I can call you out on your lies if necessary."

"You're being ridiculous. Sasuke, I love –"

"Don't say it." Sasuke said sternly. "You don't mean it."

"But I do. Sasuke I love you!"

"You don't."

"Stop saying that!" Hinata said, exasperated. "You don't have any proof that I don't love you!"

"And you haven't shown me anything proving that you do."

"What are you talking about? Of course I-I have."

Now it was Sasuke's turn to roll his eyes. "Hinata, stop being so naïve. Just because I fucked you doesn't mean we automatically love each other. The world doesn't work out the way it does in the movies, books, and whatever crap was fed to you during your life. Sex does not equate love."

Tears formed in Hinata's eyes but she'd be damned if she let them fall in front of Sasuke. "I'm not stupid. Of course I know that," she said softly.

"No, I don't think you do. For the past nine months we've barely interacted. In case you've forgotten, we decided to live like roommates. So just because we did what we did last night doesn't mean that everything changed and we're a happily married couple now. We're not."

Tears started falling from Hinata eyes. _Damn it Sasuke_.

"Last night didn't even mean anything to me at all."

Hinata gasped softly. "Sasuke, you don't mean that."

"I do."

"Then why would you have se- why would you sleep with me?!" Hinata was frantically trying not cry, holding onto the little hope she had left inside that Sasuke might actually care about her.

"Because... I was horny and you were there."

Hearing these words proved too much for Hinata. No longer being able to hold her emotions back, her tears started falling uncontrollably. Sobbing, she ran out of Sasuke's room.

Sasuke's face remained without emotion. Laying back on his bed, he closed his eyes as he tried to forget the words he had just said to his wife.

_You don't care Sasuke. You can't care. This is for the best._

* * *

><p><strong>Whoa, this was so heavy wasn't it? It was heavy for me to even write but it just had to be done. What do you all think about love? How do you know if somebody loves you? How do you even know if you're in love with somebody? At least for me, I agree with what Naruto said - there isn't just one thing that lets you know that someone loves you. I've only been in love twice. At least, I think I've been in love twice. I use the word think because I'm not sure if I can really call both times love (long story. All I know for sure is that I feelfelt it more with the second person than the first). What if what I feel/felt isn't love? What if it's pure infatuation? I though it was love but maybe I'm wrong. Maybe all of my opinions about love are just wrong. I'm not really sure anymore. In case you haven't noticed already, this has been on my mind a lot recently haha. This is probably the most personal chapter I've written yet.**

**Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Again, not sure when I'll update again because my semester starts TODAY (halfway done with my 3rd year, lets go!). But I'll update when I can :)**

**Until next time,**

**~lovelyangelxox**

**P.S. I have an idea for a new story, this time involving my OTP - Hinata and Naruto ^_^ Will I actually write it? Only time will tell.**

**P.P.S. Fun fact about the story: All those things Sakura did to show her love that Naruto mentioned are things I've actually done haha. I'm so awkward and shy so I use my actions to do the talking for me. I don't think most people notice though.**

**P.P.P.S Always remember to play, laugh, grow, and love :)**


	10. The L-Word

**So I should be writing an essay, catching up on readings and doing my laundry but instead I'm finally updating my story! It's been a while hasn't it? Hope you all enjoy this one! :)**

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><p><span><strong>Chapter 10 - The L-Word<strong>

_1 month later_

After another day of training, this time without Naruto, Sasuke headed to his house. The streets of Kohona were bustling with all of the usual suspects, all of them either trying to get home after a long's day work or to the closet restaurant they could find. Sasuke, like always, tuned all of the noise out, walking in his own silence. He took note of who passed him. Feeling a bit nice that day, Sasuke acknowledged the people he knew, giving them a head nod as they walked by. "Hi Sasuke!" his former teammate Sakura said to him as he walked by the bench she was sitting on. He paused, taking the time to stop and chat with Sakura for a bit. _It's not like I have anything to go home to._

"Hi Sakura," Sasuke said, being polite. "How are you?" Sakura asked. "I haven't seen you in a while."

"I've been out training. Usually with your husband as you well know." "Yeah I know. He wanted to come today but he had other things to do. How's Hinata?" Sasuke didn't quite know how to answer that question; for the past month, the pair hadn't even exchanged a 'hi' or 'bye'. He shrugged, looking down at the ground. "She's alright, I guess."

"I don't see her that often but when I do, she's always so happy! Married life must be treating her well huh?" Saukura's statement perplexed Sasuke. _She's happy?_ He thought to himself. _But why?_

Sasuke obviously couldn't ask these questions out loud and he was growing tired of the small talk with Sakura. "I'll see you around," brushing her off as he began to walk away.

"Bye Sasuke!" she called out cheerfully, much to Sasuke's distain. _Why is she so chipper today? Still as annoying as ever._ When Sasuke reached home, he noticed that the lights were off. This was unusual as Hinata always returned home before he did. When he walked through the door, there was no sign of her anywhere. Sasuke tried not to think too much of it but he couldn't stave off the flash of worry that went through his body. _She's fine. Don't worry about her._ Still, to ease his mind a bit, Sasuke decided to stay in the living room, sitting on the couch by the window. Periodically, he would look through it, wondering if each person walking by was Hinata.

* * *

><p>For the past month and half, Kiba had been training either by himself or with Shino, as the pang of heartbreak was still with him. It actually took a whole lot of convincing from Shino for him to even come train with Hinata today but he eventually caved, figuring it was time to face the girl who still had his heart. During training, he and Hinata didn't interact much. Instead, they used Shino as their go-between whenever they were forced to communicate with each other. From Hinata's side of things, she wanted her friendship with Kiba to be the way it was. However, after feeling the pain of heartbreak herself, she thought it would be best if she kept her distance. After a long day of training and an even longer time of serving as a proxy for his two teammates, Shino suggested they all get dinner together like they used to. Hinata was happy to go out to dinner; any reason to stay out longer than usual so she wouldn't have to go home was well wanted Kiba was excited as well, as he was never one to turn down food so they both agreed to Shino's plan.<p>

Shino himself wasn't very hungry. He had another goal in mind – reuniting his two teammates, even if just as friends. After getting to the restaurant and ordering their meals, there was a good amount of awkward silence between Kiba and Hinata. Kiba kept avoiding eye contact while Hinata nervously played with her hair, twirling the long strands between her fingers. Shino grew tired of the lack of communication and decided to be the one to break the ice.

"Kiba, you should tell Hinata about your mom," Shino said as he put his menu down and re-adjusted his glasses.

Hinata's eyebrows rose when she heard Shino's words. "What happened with Kiba's mom?"

"I think that's a question that would be better directed at Kiba, Hinata," Shino stated simply. Hinata moved her worried eyes to Kiba's and he instantly looked away.

"Nothing's wrong with her Hinata, don't worry," Kiba said, still looking away from her. "She just has a cold. Nothing major." He then turned to face Shino and gave him a big slap on the arm. "Who do you think you are going around spreading lies huh? Stop scaring people for no reason!"

"What I said wasn't a lie. Your mom isn't feeling well thereby insinuating that something's wrong with her."

"You are SO weird. Those bugs have finally infiltrated your brain!"

"Technically they've been in my body since I was born. So they've been in my head for quite some time." Kiba face-palmed, frustrated from Shino's musings.

_Just like old times,_ Hinata thought to herself. She softly smiled while she continued to watch the two of them bicker. After they had finally stopped arguing, Kiba turned to face Hinata, catching her smile, which made him smile as well. Shino took note of this and rose from his chair. "I'm going to go check on our food," he said. He walked away, giving Kiba and Hinata time to speak to one another.

For the first time since that heartfelt night, Hinata and Kiba were by themselves. A couple of moments of silence passed in between them before they both tried to speak. "Kiba I – " "Hinata I'm – "

The pair nervously laughed at the moment. Hinata looked down at the table shyly. "You can go first Kiba," she said quietly.

"Uh…no you go. Ladies first!" Kiba peeped with an awkward smile. Hinata let out a worried groan. She wasn't exactly sure what she wanted to say in the first place. She slowly lifted her head to make her eyes level with the man in front of her.

"Kiba I'm…I'm…" she took a deep breath to calm her nerves. "Kiba I'm sorry!" she finally exclaimed. This sudden outburst of words was a bit too loud, causing the stares of the other restaurant patrons to come their way and causing Hinata to blush. "I'm so awkward," she said, feeling embarrassed.

Kiba shot glares back to everybody staring at them and they returned to their own business. "It's okay Hinata. People are just nosy."

"But it's not okay. I'm such a bad person."

Kiba raised an eyebrow. "Hinata, I hardly think speaking a little too loudly makes you a bad person."

"No," she began, moving her eyes down to the table again. "I'm a bad person because I broke your heart." Tears ran down Hinata's cheeks, causing Kiba to get concerned.

"Hinata, please don't cry," he said in a soft tone, trying to console her. The presence of tears caused some people to look at them again to which Kiba shot them death glares. He moved to her side of the table, sitting next to her. He put his arm around her and pulled her into his body.

"Why not?" she asked in between her sniffles. "I hurt someone I care about. That makes me a bad person." Kiba sighed and started to rub Hinata's shoulder in a calming fashion. "Look, I won't lie and say you didn't break my heart," Kiba began. "Because you did. Pretty badly actually."

Kiba's words caused Hinata to cry harder and he quickly tried to think of something to say. "But don't worry!" he exclaimed. "I'm a tough guy! I can handle it!"

"Hinata I'd rather see you happy than see you crying over the fact that I didn't get what I wanted. We just aren't meant to be. But you know what I really want?"

"What?"

"To see you smile. So I'll do whatever it takes to see your smile again! Even if that means you stay with that jackass Sasuke."

"Yeah, he's definitely a jackass," Hinata said with a tiny chuckle. When Hinata replied, Kiba let out a weird noise of surprise before laughing loudly. "I'm glad we agree on that! Now will you please smile?"

Hinata wiped her tears and looked up at Kiba. She gave him a small smile to which he gave her a tight hug. "Good. Now can we please eat?"

"Yes, please! But we need our food first."

"By the way, where did Shino go?"

"I'm right here," a voice behind Kiba said. Kiba jumped up to see Shino standing there, being quiet as ever. "STOP DOING THAT!"

Hinata couldn't help but smile again. _Yep, just like old times._

After finally getting their food and eating, Team 8 left the restaurant. Shino decided to walk Hinata home as Kiba had to rush home.

"Bye Kiba!" Hinata called out as she gave him a soft smile, waving him goodbye. When she finished saying goodbye to Kiba, she turned her attention to Shino. "You don't have to walk me home Shino," she said softly.

"I know," he replied, fixing his glasses. "But it's late and I'd feel much better if I escorted you home. Besides, I have some questions for you."

Hinata's interest peaked when he said this. "Questions? What type of questions?" she asked as they started walking to her house.

"Well there's really one question I want to ask...but it will probably require follow up questions to gain more information."

"Just ask the question Shino."

"Alright," he said, his eyes on the road in front of him. "Why are you still with Sasuke when you obviously don't want to be with him?"

Shino's question caused Hinata to trip on air. She quickly caught her balance but she was still caught off guard by the statement. "W-What are you t-talking about?"

"You're stuttering," is all that Shino said. Hinata sighed and looked down at the ground.

"Because I love him," she whispered.

"Yes, that may be true. But something happened between you too."

"N-nothing h-happened," she stated softly.

"Hinata…"

Hinata rolled her eyes. "Yes I know I'm stuttering goddamn it! Stop pointing it out!" Her second sudden outburst of the night caused Shino to stop walking. She did the same and immediately apologized.

"Shino, I'm so sorry. I just…I don't know what do. This whole situation is so confusing and I don't know what to make of it."

"Maybe I can help," Shino said as he started to walk again. "Tell me what happened."

"Are you sure?" Hinata asked, wondering if Shino really wanted to know what's happening between her and Sasuke.

"You're my teammate Hinata. More importantly, you're my friend - I care about you. So yes, I want to know."

"Alright," Hinata sighed. Walking slowly alongside Shino, she explained the details of the last month, from the casual flirting to the night of passion and finally, to the rejection. When she was done, she looked at her friend.

"So Shino…what should I do?"

Shino stayed quiet as he processed the mass amounts of information Hinata just unloaded on him. Hinata was about to speak again when Shino finally responded.

"I think Sasuke is confused. He obviously cares for you in some capacity or he wouldn't have done those things with you. But his past experiences have most likely made him skeptical of love. So even though you declared your love for him, he can't let himself believe you. He must find it easier to push you away than to deal with his feelings."

"But that doesn't tell me what I should do."

"I can't really tell you what to do now, can I?" Shino said, looking at Hinata. "I can offer up my suggestions but the choice is ultimately yours."

Hinata looked back at Shino with eyes filled of anticipation. "Okay, what's your suggestion then?"

"Leave him."

Now it was Hinata's turn to raise an eyebrow. "Leave him? But why?"

"Even if I'm right and he does care about you, nobody deserves the attitude he's been giving, especially you Hinata. Maybe if you leave him, the distance will make him realize that he's acting foolish."

Hinata frowned. "I guess that makes sense."

"But if I'm wrong and he doesn't care at all, at least you're away from a person who doesn't deserve any of your time." By the time he was saying this, Hinata and Shino had reached the house. Shino did something he rarely did – he gave Hinata a hug.

"It's your decision Hinata," he said while keeping her in his embrace. "But remember this – you deserve more than what you're getting right now. I hope you realize that. And I hope for your sake, Sasuke steps up and starts treating you properly. But if he doesn't, I'll personally beat him up for you."

Hinata grinned as they released from their hug. "Shino, that's the sweetest thing you've ever said to me!"

"I have my moments," he said plainly. Shino waved to her before walking away. Sighing but still feeling good from their hug, Hinata walked up the front steps and reached the door of the house.

* * *

><p>Staring at the doorknob, Hinata knew that she needed to have her mind made up when she walked through that door. She stood there for a while, ruminating over the options she had. Hinata, suck it up and decide already. <em>You've been out here way too long<em>, she said to herself. Feeling the wind push against her back, she quickly decided what she wanted to do. Turning the doorknob, Hinata opened the door and found Sasuke staring right at her.

Hinata looked at Sasuke for a second before diverting her attention to another point in the room. She walked right past him, trying hard not to acknowledge his presence. She could feel his gaze on her as she walked to her bedroom. Earlier in their relationship, Hinata would've quivered under the very feeling of his intense stare, but tonight was different. Once she got to her bedroom, she locked the door and stayed there the entire night. Sasuke was intrigued by Hinata's stand-off-ish behavior, but not enough to give into his curiousness and go check up on her. He decided to make dinner for himself before going to sleep in the spare room out of pure boredom.

The next day, Sasuke decided not to leave the house. When he called Naruto to explain why he was staying home, he said that he just wanted to take a break for today. It was a horrible excuse, especially for Sasuke but Naruto didn't question it. What Sasuke really wanted was to stay home, just to see when Hinata would finally emerge from her room. He took his position on the living room couch and ended up waiting for hours on end. By noon, he was about to give up when he finally heard the click of the bedroom doorknob. Sasuke quickly straightened himself up and got up from the couch. When Hinata appeared from the hallway, Sasuke's eyes immediately zoned in on the two suitcases she was carrying, one in each hand.

He was perplexed before he slowly came to the realization of what her bags meant. His eyes moved from the suitcases to her face. They locked eyes and Sasuke studied Hinata's appearance. Her hair was a bit messy but passable enough to go outside. She was wearing a plain t-shirt and black jeans. He finally studied her eyes and saw that they didn't hold hate, nor did they hold love – they just looked tired.

"Where are you going?" Sasuke uttered after holding her gaze for a while. "I'm leaving," Hinata said simply, putting the bags down to rest her arms. "But _where_ are you going?" he asked again.

"Does it matter Sasuke?" she asked, looking away from him. She brushed her long hair with her hands, twirling the strands between her fingers.

"I think it does," he said, just as simply as Hinata had responded before. She let out a sigh and returned her attention back towards his direction.

"It doesn't. Nothing really matters now. All that matters is that you're finally getting what you want."

"What do you mean by that?"

Hinata was about to answer when a knock at the front door interrupted her. "That's Shino." Hinata picked up her bags again and walked to the front door.

"You're leaving me for Shino?!" Sasuke let his cool slip, as anger radiated through his voice. Hinata couldn't help but chuckle sadly. "No, I'm not. But even if I was, what do you care?"

Hinata opened the door and handed one of her bags to Shino. She let out another sigh and looked at Sasuke one more time. "Bye Sasuke," she said sadly. She closed the door behind her before walking away with Shino.

Sasuke balled his hands into fists. "Hinata come back!" he yelled to the walls of the house. He looked out the front window and watched her and her teammate as they walked further and further away. Sasuke took in a deep breath and relaxed his hands. "Whatever," he said to himself, retreating back to his cool demeanor. "I don't need her." He flopped down on to the couch and closed his eyes. _I don't need her. I don't._

* * *

><p>A week had passed and Sasuke had spent his time training intensely to keep his mind off of his wife. When he wasn't training, he moped around the house because he refused to reduce himself to asking Naruto to hang out with him. Slowly but surely, Sasuke came to the realization that he needed to know where Hinata was. "I don't need her," he said out loud to himself early Saturday morning. "I just want to know where she is so I know she's alright. She's still legally my wife after all." After rationalizing his thoughts, Sasuke went out to observe the two people he knew Hinata trusted, Kiba and Shino.<p>

_Even though her and Kiba recently went through some things, I feel that if she needed help, she would turn to him first._ Watching from afar, Sasuke stared at Kiba as he did mundane tasks like walking around with Akamaru and flirting with Ino. _Nothing out of the ordinary – how annoying. _After watching for a good three hours, Sasuke decided to move onto watching Shino. He had his doubts about Shino, since he and Hinata didn't seem to interact much. Still, Sasuke figured he had nothing to lose by looking into him.

The first three hours of watching Shino were similar to the hours he spent watching Kiba. Nothing out of the ordinary happened and the things he occupied himself with were terribly boring to watch. When Shino finally came back to his house, Sasuke figured it was time to head home himself and think of other places Hinata could be. Just as he was turning around, Sasuke heard Shino's door open again. When he turned around to see who made the sound, he saw that it was Shino carrying a small pack. He watched as Shino look around him for a moment before walking towards the wooded area nearby. Sasuke followed him closely, using as much stealth as possible. Shino finally arrived at a small log cabin, pausing at the front door. _What is he stopping for?_ Sasuke wondered. His question was soon answered. The door creaked open slightly, just enough for whoever was inside to see who was standing at the door. Although he couldn't see her entire body, no one could miss those big, clear eyes for miles. "Did anyone follow you?" He heard Hinata whisper. "No," Shino replied. "Here's some food." He handed her the bag before speaking again. "Stop being so paranoid Hinata. You're safe here."

_And she would be perfectly fine at home too, _Sasuke scoffed to himself. Hinata opened the door a little bit more and nodded. "You're right. Do you want to come in? I could use the company." The small smile that appeared on her mouth when she asked this would warm even the tiniest of hearts. Still, Shino declined. "I have to get back home now. But next time I will." "Okay," she replied, feeling a bit disappointed. "Thanks. I'll see you later." Shino gave her a quick wave goodbye before starting off.

Hinata closed the door behind her after she waved back. Now that he finally knew where she was, Sasuke decided this was the perfect opportunity to talk to her. He went up to the front door and tried the handle – to his surprise it wasn't locked. _She really should be more careful_, he thought to himself, a wave of worry quickly rushing over him. He entered the cabin quietly before shutting the door behind him.

"You know, for someone who is so paranoid about people finding you, you should really learn to lock your doors." Hinata jumped up at the sound of Sasuke's voice and gasped. She turned around quickly and moved to hit him in the arm but he easily dodged her swing. "Where did you come from?!" she asked frantically. "How did you find me?"

"Your friend Shino should be more careful. He really doesn't sense when people are following him." Sasuke said, making himself comfortable on Hinata's makeshift couch. All Hinata could do is look at him with annoyed eyes.

_I knew Shino wasn't being that careful!_ "Don't pick on Shino! He's a great ninja and a great person. He's more of a man than you'll ever be," Hinata said with a smirk. To that, Sasuke got up slowly and walked right up to Hinata's face.

"And what makes you say that?" Tension filled the air as Sasuke waited for an answer.

"A man knows exactly what he wants and isn't afraid to get what he wants," Hinata finally responded. "Unlike some people I know." When she finished talking, Hinata had a sweet smile upon her lips. Her and Shino would never get together but Sasuke didn't know that. She had purposely said this to get underneath Sasuke's skin and it seemed to work; she could tell by the way his eyebrows furrowed and by the way his smirk turned into a scowl.

"Oh really? Some man he is. You've downgraded Hinata," he replied sharply. Hinata just rolled her eyes in response and moved away from him.

"Sasuke I don't have time for this. Not anymore," she said, looking straight at him. "I've entertained you long enough. What do you want?"

"That's a bummer," Sasuke replied, sitting back down on the couch. "I was just starting to have fun."

Hinata turned her back on him. "If you came here just to play games, you can leave. I'm not doing that anymore." She walked over to her little sink and started washing dishes, something she did when she was stressed.

"Why did you leave me?"

Hinata sighed when she heard this. _I knew this was coming._ "I didn't leave you," she said softly, continuing with her dishes.

"Then what do you call packing your things and moving out of the house?"

"What I meant is that I left the situation. I didn't just leave you."

"And what do you mean by that?"

Hinata paused, turning off the running water that was spilling into her hands. "What do I mean by that?" she repeated. "Isn't it obvious?" she asked, looking straight at him. Hinata was greeted back with a cold stare.

"I left what wasn't working. We don't work Sasuke."

"I want you to come back."

"No you don't."

"Yes, I do."

"No you don't."

"Yes, I do – look, I'm not going to do this with you again Hinata," Sasuke said with a sigh.

"But what's the point Sasuke? We don't love each other – we don't even like each other! We didn't even make this choice for ourselves! We just did this because our parents had already made the arrangement and I for one, think that was silly."

"I thought you loved me," Sasuke said softly, looking down at his lap.

Hinata sighed and walked closer, closing the distance between him and her. "I do love you. But do you love me?"

Silence filled the room as Sasuke went quiet. "Sasuke, do you love me?" Hinata repeated.

"What do you mean when you say love?" Sasuke asked, looking up at her. "How do you know what love is?"

"I just know Sasuke. I just know." She moved closer to him again, standing a couple feet in front of him. "But I can't go back to someone who doesn't love me."

Sasuke stood up to be on a more level field with Hinata. "Look, I…I care about you. I care about you a lot alright? And I like being around you and I enjoy your company and our stupid little fights but love…I don't know if I can say that." This was the biggest confession of his feelings he had ever revealed to Hinata. Albeit, she was impressed but it wasn't the answer she was looking for.

"Then I can't go back to you." She replied sadly.

"Hinata what do you want me to say? I'm trying here."

"You're not trying hard enough."

"I'm just really confused and – "

"Okay, I'll ask it this way – do you have romantic feelings for me?"

Sasuke hesitated to answer. "Again, I'm confused to what you mean by romantic feelings."

At this point, Hinata was aggravated. "It means you want to be with me. It means that you want to be with me and only me," she paused and looked into Sasuke's eyes with a look he hadn't seen from her in a while. "It basically means that you…l-love me too."

Sasuke looked back into Hinata's eyes sadly. "I don't know if I can say that then." Hinata's eyes fell and she turn around from him. "Hinata, I'm sorry. I just don't know if I can be what you need."

Hinata didn't say anything when he said that. Instead, she just walked back to the sink and picked her soapy dish back up. "I just don't want to hurt you Hinata."

Sasuke's statement made Hinata sadly laugh to herself. _He says all of this and yet, I wonder if he knows that everything he has done to me has hurt me. He's constantly playing with my emotions and I'm tired of it. I'm just…tired._

"I think you should go Sasuke," she said, cleaning her dish slowly.

"Hinata…I…"

"Just go."

Not knowing what else to do, Sasuke finally listened to Hinata. He left her small wooden cottage, mentally beating himself up for everything he had just said.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter finished! Ugh, this must be so frustrating for Hinata! But Sasuke's obviously having a hard time too so I feel for both of them right now. Anyways, announcement time - I believe that I'm finally getting to this story's end! I've actually written out the last two chapters but I'll probably go back and revamp them before I actually post them on here. That being said, a lot can happen in 2 chapters! So what do you all think will happen? Will Sasuke cave in and say those 3 words? Will Hinata cave and just live with the fact that her husband can't say I love you? Will Kiba use Ino as a rebound? Haha thank you for reading this chapter! Make sure to leave some love in the review section!<strong>

**Until next time! ~lovelyangelxox**


	11. The D-Word

**New chapter up now! Enjoy! :)**

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><p><strong><span>Chapter 11 – The D-Word<span>**

_2 months later – One Year of Marriage_

Walking through their front door, Sasuke and Hinata were both characteristically quiet. Despite the whirlwind of events that they had gone through during the past year, when they were around each other, Sasuke and Hinata tended to be quiet. Yet, this was okay – they were comfortable with that. They were comfortable with the silence, comfortable with the things that had been said and comfortable with the things that had been left unsaid.

The dinner they had just arrived from was, surprisingly, Sasuke's idea. Whether or not he wanted to admit it out loud, he cared for Hinata and he really wanted to show her how he felt by celebrating their one-year anniversary; Sasuke wasn't a man of many words so he often spoke through his actions. Hinata had very willingly agreed. Over the past two months, her relationship with Sasuke seemed to be moving into a good place. Once or twice a week, Sasuke would go to Hinata's cabin (he longed to visit her more often but he wanted to be respectful of her space). While he was there, Hinata would take the opportunity to talk for hours about whatever came to her mind, whether it was mindless town gossip she had heard from Shino or political happenings in the villages around them. Of course, when they weren't talking, they were greatly enjoying each other's company. These times often resulted in some form of intimacy – there were kisses, caresses and a couple romps in the bed to relieve the sexual tension between them.

Even with these close times together, it wasn't those moments that made Hinata start to believe that things could work. Rather, the moments after the kisses and the touches and the sex are what started to change her mind. In these moments, Sasuke would talk to her. When he spoke, it wasn't mindless babble. He would discuss deep issues with Hinata such as his family, his friendship with Naruto and other things he hadn't told a soul. Whenever he spoke, Hinata felt truly important to Sasuke. Her body radiated with happiness every time these moments occurred because she knew that Sasuke trusted her intensely. Anything he shared with her she cherished – his words were beautiful and the thoughts he had proved that his mind was beautiful as well. In these moments, Hinata was truly in awe of Sasuke. Despite the happiness and wonder, there was something that she couldn't help but notice – he still couldn't say 'I love you' to her. Any time she would say it to him or mention it in any way, shape, or form, he would deflect her question in one way or another.

Interestingly enough, there were one or two times that Sasuke slipped up and told Hinata he loved her in one way or another. However, once he realized what he had done, he quickly covered it up and denied he ever said those words. Sasuke denying what he said hurt Hinata but she made herself get over it. After all, there was no way that Sasuke didn't love her - his actions said it so overtly. So when Sasuke asked to take her out to dinner, she hoped that he would finally get over his fear of saying these words to her.

* * *

><p>The night before the dinner, Sasuke asked Hinata to stay in the house and she agreed, mainly because she was getting tired of the solitary lifestyle she was living while staying in the cabin. When it was time for bed, Hinata went into the master bedroom while Sasuke retreated straight into the spare bedroom. Even though Sasuke had been sleeping in the master while Hinata was gone, he knew that he would have to go back to the spare room when she stayed over. He desperately wanted to sleep beside her but didn't want to pressure her to do something she didn't want to do. Meanwhile, Hinata was surprised that Sasuke didn't ask to sleep in the same room as her. Saddened by the fact that cuddles and kisses didn't seem to be in her future tonight, she quickly got into the covers of the big bed and tried to go to sleep. Hinata tossed and turned in her bed for an hour before she decided to take matters into her own hands. Grabbing a pillow with her, Hinata made her way to the spare bedroom, opening the door slowly so she wouldn't disturb Sasuke's sleeping. Before she could start to sneak her way to his bed, Hinata caught Sasuke's dark eyes staring at her.<p>

"Hinata, what are you doing here?" he said quietly, looking at her silhouette in the doorway. He was still awake as he was having trouble sleeping for the same reasons his wife couldn't sleep. Hinata smiled shyly, looking down at her feet. "I'm cold," she responded. "Could I stay with you?" Sasuke hesitated, not because he didn't want to share a bed with Hinata again, but because he wasn't sure what to say to her. "If not, I could always get another b-blanket," she said softly. Hinata took his silence as a rejection but Sasuke's voice quickly stopped her from leaving. "No, come. You can sleep here tonight." Hinata happily accepted and quickly got into bed with him. She snuggled into his chest and wrapped her arms around him, trying to get every bit of heat she could from him. Sasuke caressed her back while she did this, wincing a bit as he felt her icy cold hands and feet touch his body. Even though she was cold, he didn't really mind - as long as she was happy, he was happy.

"So where are you taking me out to dinner tomorrow night?" she asked. "It's a surprise," he responded back softly.

"Can you give me a hint?" Sasuke let out a rare chuckle. "No, I can't. But you'll like it, I promise." "Okay," she responded. He and Hinata lied together quietly for 10 minutes, not saying a word. Hinata's breathing finally starte to slow down and Sasuke knew that she was falling asleep. Giving her hand a soft squeeze, he kissed her forehead before wrapping his arms tightly around her body once more.

"Sasuke?" she mumbled, almost completely asleep.

"Yes Hinata?"

"I love you."

Sasuke turned to Hinata and looked at her. He wasn't exactly sure if he heard her correctly. "What did you say?"

"Really?" Hinata let out a yawn. "You heard me. Or do you want me to say it again?"

He let out a sigh, knowing very well that he had heard her all along. Even hearing her sweet voice confess her love for him couldn't bring Sasuke to say it back. "No…it's okay. I think I heard you. Go to sleep." Sasuke kissed Hinata on the forehead once more and she let out a sad sigh before falling asleep.

* * *

><p>The next night, Sasuke came home from a quick training session to find Hinata already read for dinner. She was wearing a lacy red dress that went down to her knees and strappy black heels that were just the right height. Her hair was slick and straight, reaching down her back. She completed the look with a sweet smile on her face. "Sasuke, hurry up! I'm hungry!"<p>

Sasuke couldn't help but to just stare at her for a couple minutes, all of which made Hinata feel self-conscious. "What is it?" she asked. "Why are you staring at me?" Sasuke slowly walked up to her, rested his hands on her waist and kissed her on the lips. "You're beautiful." Hinata couldn't help but blush at his comment. "T-thank you Sasuke. Now hurry up." She smiled and pushed him down the hallway.

Sasuke smirked and complied, hurrying into the bathroom to take a quick shower. Once he was done, he scurried off into the bedroom where he put on a nice polo shirt and jeans. Spritzing on some cologne, he dashed out of the bedroom and met Hinata back in the living room. "How do I look?" he asked her. Hinata just giggled. "Well, you look handsome," she started. "But your hair is still wet." Sasuke frowned but Hinata gave him a kiss on the cheek to rectify that.

Finally ready, the two of them headed into town. Sasuke lead them to a newly opened restaurant in the main part of town. "I've never seen this place before," Hinata said as they walked up to the entrance. "Maybe you should pay more attention when walking around," Sasuke teased. Hinata was a bit worried when she saw the line that was going out the door of the restaurant but Sasuke ushered both of them through the door, disregarding those who gave them rude stares as they made their way through. When the maître d' saw them come through the doorway, he quickly took them to a table that was already prepared for them. Once seated, the maître d' handed Hinata a red rose, which made her smile. "Thank you!" she said happily. "Anything for the lady," he said politely before running off to help with other things in the restaurant.

Hinata then turned her attention to Sasuke. "Sasuke, how did you manage to get us in here?" He flashed his famous smirk before responding. "I have my ways." Putting her rose down, Hinata started to scour the menu. When she saw the prices, she put the menu down and looked at her husband. "Sasuke, this place is too expensive. I don't deserve all of this," she said softly.

"Yes, you do," he said, reaching across the table to grab her hands. "Don't worry about the prices. Just get anything you want okay?"

"Are you sure Sasuke?"

"Yes I'm sure. You said you were hungry didn't you?" Hinata giggled and responded. "Yes, yes I definitely did"

The meal they shared that night was heavenly and the conversation they had with each other was amazing. Hinata hadn't felt this good with Sasuke in…well since the beginning of their marriage. Tonight, everything seemed to be going right and she was certain that Sasuke felt it too. When Hinata finished with her dessert (Sasuke had never been a fan of sweets), Hinata looked into Sasuke's eyes. "Sasuke, thank you for taking me out tonight. This place is amazing! I never thought you would do this for me."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "Do I really come off as such a horrible person?"

"No, no, no!" Hinata was quick to say. "Well…maybe just a little. You're just hard to connect with because you have a lot of walls built up."

"I don't think I have a lot of walls built up"

"You do. But that's okay because I feel as if we've gotten closer over the past year."

"Wow, it's been a year already? I didn't even know that," Sasuke responded with a hint of surprise in his voice.

Hinata's face fell. "You really don't remember that today's our anniversary?" she asked sadly.

Sasuke looked at her. "Hinata, of course I remember. I was just joking with you. That's why I brought us to dinner – to celebrate our year together."

"Oh, okay," Hinata said with an embarrassed smile. "It's hard to tell when you're joking; you don't joke around a lot."

"I know. I have to leave you with some surprises don't I?" Sasuke said with a smirk. "It's been a really interesting year hasn't it?"

"Yes, yes it has. But we got through it together," she responded, taking Sasuke's hands from across the table. "You know, I'm thinking about moving back to our house."

"Ah, did Shino's bugs finally get to you?" Hinata rolled her eyes. "Stop being silly Sasuke. I'm being serious. I miss our house...but most of all, I miss you."

Sasuke stayed silent when she said this. Instead of responding, Sasuke just stared back into Hinata's beautiful eyes.

"I-I know that we've had a lot of issues Sasuke but tonight…after tonight, I think we're finally past all of that. Wouldn't you agree?"

Sasuke gave Hinata a half nod in agreement. Part of him was wondering where she was going with this and the other part of him hoped that she wouldn't say what he thought she was going to say.

"Sasuke?"

"Yes Hinata?" _Please don't say it. Just let it be, _he thought to himself. He didn't want to deal with this situation at all. This topic always made him uncomfortable and the fact it made him uncomfortable made him feel bad because he knew Hinata was getting hurt in the process.

"I love you," she said with a smile. "I love you so much. I know I've said it before but I want to say it all the time. I just hold back because I think it freaks you out when I say such things. But I don't care anymore. I love you Sasuke, I really do."

Sasuke didn't say anything. Hinata felt his hands retreat from her grip and immediately, she got worried. "A-and I know you love me too. Right? Because you wouldn't have done all of this if you didn't love me…right?"

Silence from Sasuke once more.

"And you wouldn't come visit me when we weren't living together if you didn't love me right?"

Sasuke looked away from her, knowing that if he were to look at her face right now, his heart wouldn't be able to stand it.

"And you wouldn't make love to me all of those times if you really didn't love me…right?"

With every question, Hinata's voice got more and more frantic. "Damn it Sasuke! Answer me - do you love me?" Her question was loud enough to get a couple stares from people in the restaurant but she didn't care.

"Hinata…I…look you know how I feel," Sasuke finally said, knowing he had to say something before she completely went off the walls.

"Yes, but I want you to say it," she said. She sighed and tilted her head up for a moment as she felt tears coming. When she composed herself, she couldn't look at Sasuke.

"Why won't you say it?" Hinata waited for an answer she most likely knew she wasn't going to get. When she didn't get a response, she got up from the table and left. Sasuke paid for the meal and said thanks to the maître d' before following her out of the door.

"Hinata wait!" he called out to her when they were on a quiet road. Ever the private person, Sasuke didn't want to start talking about their issues where everyone could hear them.

"Sasuke, that's what I've been doing for the past nine months," Hinata responded, turning to face him. "I was a horrible wife during our first three months together, I know that. I was still in love with Naruto and I'm sorry for that. I really am. But I've tried to make up for my mistakes. I've given you space when you needed it but I was also always there for you when you needed it."

"Hinata I –"

"And I'm not sure what else I can do. I can't help but think this is somehow my fault. Maybe if I hadn't done what I did when we first got married, maybe you'd be able to say those words to me. Maybe if I had not been such a crybaby. Maybe if I – "

Sasuke stopped her from talking by embracing her. A torrent of sobs started to come out from Hinata but she quickly stopped. She was tired of crying, especially in front of Sasuke.

"Hinata, nothing you did was wrong okay? If anything, I was the horrible one. I'm so moody and brash that it's hard for me to get close to anyone." He took Hinata's hands into his and looked at her.

"Hinata, you know how I feel about you. You're more important to me than anything else in the world."

"Then why can't you say it? Why can't you tell me you love me?"

"I…I just can't."

Hinata pulled away from Sasuke's hands and walked the rest of the way home in silence. When they walked through their front door, they were both characteristically quiet. The events of the night had left them with nothing and everything to say, but nowhere to begin. Hinata started to walk to the bedroom while Sasuke sat in the living room. She paused in the hallway for a minute before turning around to tell Sasuke one last thing.

"Sasuke…I-I want a divorce. And I'm serious this time. I know that you don't want us to get divorced because of how it'll look in front of everyone but I…I can't do this anymore. I want someone to tell I love you to every night without worrying whether or not they love me back at all. And yes, you say I know how you feel about me but how can I really know if you're not able to say those words to me? I've tried to not let it bother me but I can't. It bothers me so much and I really wish it didn't. I know this is just a jumble of words but I really mean it. I want a divorce."

"Okay." Sasuke sat with his head hanging down in defeat. He couldn't keep Hinata from obtaining true happiness anymore. He knew he had to let her go. After all, he couldn't give her the one thing she truly wanted.

"Okay?" Hinata was expecting a fight and the fact she wasn't getting any resistance surprised her.

"Yeah. Okay."

Hinata sighed. "Okay then."

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><p><strong>So I'm suspecting some of you hate me right now and believe me, I'm not happy with this either. It's looking like Sasuke and Hinata are officially over :'( It's so sad isn't it? But, there's still 1 more chapter left and I have no idea what the future holds for them so for those Sasuke &amp; Hinata shippers out there, don't give up hope yet! It's not over until it's over. I'm not sure when I'll post the last chapter but I get out of school in about 4 weeks so I should have a little bit of time before I travel in May to publish the ending to the story. As always, let me know what you thought of the chapter in the reviews. Thank you all for reading! ~lovelyangelxox<strong>

**P.S. Raging 101 - Sorry that I haven't been updating quickly enough for you! I update whenever I can but it's kinda hard to do it often because I'm busy with classwork. I know that this isn't much of a consolation but my story is almost over, meaning that you don't have to wait much longer anymore! I hope you keep on reading and thanks for your review! :)**


	12. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

Sasuke and Hinata were divorced three months after that night. Although the news didn't sit well with Hinata's father, their friends were very understanding, even though none of them really knew the whole story. As per their agreement, Hinata stayed in the house while Sasuke moved out. He found a small apartment located above one of the shops across town. Much to his distaste, he was close enough to the ramen shop that the smell that radiated from the restaurant stuck with him everywhere he went. As for Hinata, she eventually moved out of the house they once shared; after a while of living there alone, she could no longer bear remembering her relationship with Sasuke everywhere she turned. Needing a fresh start, she moved in with Ino, who, surprisingly, started dating Kiba right around the same time. Although Ino proved to be a lot for her to handle, Hinata enjoyed the fact that someone was there for her when she needed the company.

The two of them were good with avoiding each other, rarely crossing paths. On the unlikely chance they did, they would only acknowledge each other with a look or a polite nod. Neither of them knew what to say or how to say it. When faced with each other, they found it easier just to keep quiet.

Two years passed before Sasuke and Hinata had a full conversation again, brought on by the birthday party of Naruto & Sakura's child, Namiko. When Namiko was born, the happy couple asked Hinata and Sasuke to be the godparents. They both agreed but still rarely spoke to one another. However, they both knew people would be looking at them during the party to see what would happen between them. Wanting to be in control of the situation, Hinata decided to be the one to break the ice; she knew no matter what happened, the situation would be awkward. During a lull in the party, she walked over to the snack table where her ex-husband was standing. Tapping him politely on the shoulder, Hinata started to speak.

"Hi," she said as Sasuke turned around to face her.

"Hi," he returned, looking down at her face. The pair studied each other for a minute, taking in the other's features. Even though only two years had passed since they were truly together, they both had changed. Sasuke looked more mature but less angry at the world. His face looked in a way that said that he was okay with life, no longer feeling anger for the cards life had dealt him. On the other hand, Hinata still looked as beautiful as ever. Her features were still soft and her face was ever calm. However, her eyes did not hold the same naiveté they once had.

"How are you?" she asked nicely, taking a cookie from the table.

"I'm fine," he replied, taking a sip from the cup he was holding. "What about you?"

"I'm good," she said, mouth full of cookie. She quickly swallowed before trying to talk again. "Sorry, shouldn't speak with my mouth full. I'm good."

Sasuke shrugged, as if to say 'it's okay' before replying. "That's good. So…Namiko sure has grown in a year, hasn't she?"

Hinata nodded, turning her attention to her godchild who was playing with some of the other kids across the room. "She certainly has. She's very beautiful."

"I still can't believe Naruto asked me to be one of the godparents," Sasuke said, looking across the room as well. "I think it was a horrible decision on his part – I'm horrible with kids."

"Well, you're Naruto's best friend – who else would he have asked? You're the obvious first choice." Hinata took another cookie off the table and started to nibble into it. "Plus, I'm sure you're not horrible with kids. At least you're not horrible with Namiko."

"You've never even seen me around her. She cries anytime Naruto or Sakura hand her over to me."

To this, Hinata chuckled. "Children sense fear Sasuke. She knows you're afraid of her so she cries so someone else can take her and so you can be put out of your misery."

"I never said I was afraid of her."

Hinata shrugged. "I know. But you didn't have to. I already know you are."

Sasuke gleaned at Hinata. "Oh yeah, and how do you know that?"

"You've always been afraid of the things you love." Hinata said it so simply that Sasuke's eyes widened. Hinata herself was a bit surprised at what she had said. She couldn't believe that those words had emerged from her mouth but at the same time, she was okay with what she said. However, she decided to move the topic along to avoid any awkward pauses. "Anyways, I'm not sure why I was picked as a godparent either. Sakura and I haven't always been best friends. I was sure she was going to pick Ino."

"Yeah, but you two have gotten closer over the years. Plus, when Sakura was pregnant, her and Ino were arguing about something I believe. That probably made her want to pick you even more."

"Oh, so I was a consolation prize? That makes me feel really great about myself…"

"Hinata, I didn't mean it like that. I just meant – " Hinata started to giggle. "It's okay Sasuke, I know what you meant. I was just messing around with you." She gave him a soft smile, reminiscent of the ones she would give him while they were married. Sasuke couldn't help but give her a genuine smile back.

* * *

><p>"See, I told you they still loved each other!" Naruto exclaimed at his wife. He and Sakura were in the kitchen, getting the birthday cake ready. While Sakura was making sure everything looked okay on the cake, Naruto had been watching Hinata and Sasuke conversing on the other side of the room.<p>

"Mh-hmm, sure honey," Sakura said absent-mindedly. Right now, she only had one thing on her mind and that was the birthday cake.

"Sakura, listen to me, I'm being serious," Naruto said as he took Sakura's hand and pulled her attention to where he was looking. "Can't you see them?" Sakura studied them for a second before turning her attention to her husband. "What I see is one guy reading way too much into a conversation between two grown adults. Leave them alone – let's bring the cake out now." She lifted the cake from the counter and began to walk out of the kitchen.

Naruto rolled his eyes. "I'm not reading way too much into it! Look at them! They're meant for each other!" Sakura sighed. "Look Naruto, I know you want them to have what we have but they tried that and it didn't work. We should respect their choice."

"Are you telling me that not even a little part of you wants them together? Not even one tiny little bit?" Sakura sighed again. She turned around and set the cake back down on the counter. "Okay, a _tiny_ part of me wants them back together."

"See! So you do see it!"

"BUT…they didn't work for a reason. Just because we want them together doesn't mean that magically all of their issues will be resolved. I'll be happy if they do get back together but it's not like we can convince them to do so."

"Oh really? Then why did you suggest we make the two of them Namiko's godparents huh?" Naruto asked with a toothy grin. Sakura smiled at her husband but rolled her eyes. "Because Sasuke's your best friend and because Hinata's one of my good friends. Plus I was mad at Ino at the time."

"Yeah okay, but we both know the REAL reason why you did that." Sakura laughed at her husband and playfully pinched his arm. "Whatever Naruto. Can we do the cake now?" Naruto smiled and kissed his wife on the cheek. "Definitely!"

* * *

><p>After the cake was shared, Namiko fell asleep and the party was officially over. Sasuke and Hinata both stayed afterwards to help Naruto and Sakura clean up. While the two ladies were in the kitchen, Naruto whisked Sasuke away to his daughter's bedroom.<p>

"Dobe what the hell?" Sasuke said, not exactly mad but not exactly pleased either. "What are you doing?"

"What I'm doing is saving your marriage," Naruto whispered. Sasuke couldn't help but chuckle at Naruto's statement. "Yeah, you're about two years too late for that. Now can I go back to cleaning so I can leave?"

"Not until you admit to me that you're still in love with Hinata!" Naruto exclaimed. Namiko started to fuss in her crib, which reminded Naruto to keep it down. Sasuke just shook his head at his confused best friend. "Naruto, you're seriously touched in the head. Leave me alone."

"Look, don't get sassy with me just because you won't admit to anyone that you still love Hinata. You couldn't even admit it to yourself back then and that's why she left you." Sasuke sighed as Naruto said these words. Back during the early days of the divorce, Sasuke would spend hours telling Naruto his side of the story so Naruto knew everything that went down during Hinata and Sasuke's year together.

"Okay even if I still did love her – and I'm not saying I do – it's really too late for that. She seems happy being on her own," Sasuke whispered, looking towards the window. "I would just bring her back to being unhappy again. I can't do that."

"Then don't do that. Just tell her you love her," Naruto said.

"And if she rejects me?"

"Then she rejects you. But you'll never know until you try. Believe me, Sakura rejected me plenty of times but finally, she realized what she was missing out on," Naruto said with a smile.

"Yeah, well I'm not in love with her anymore. Even if I were, Hinata and I aren't you and Sakura. We're different."

* * *

><p><em>Meanwhile in the Kitchen…<em>

"Thanks for staying to clean up Hinata, I really appreciate it," Sakura said with a smile. She and Hinata were cleaning up the last of the dishes in the sink. "No problem!" Hinata responded. "Anything I could do to help!"

"You're always so helpful Hinata. With me, with Naruto, Namiko, with everyone! You're so helpful that I think it's time that I finally help you with something," Sakura said, putting the dish she was drying down on the counter.

Hinata raised an eyebrow and looked at Sakura skeptically. "Okay…I don't know what you're talking about. What do I need help with?"

"Sasuke." Hinata rolled her eyes and let out a big sigh. "I'm gonna stop you right here before you go any further," she said, looking at her friend. "He and I didn't work. End of story."

"You didn't work two years ago but maybe you'll work now," Sakura said hopefully. Hinata just shook her head. "Everyone I know who has gone back to an ex has ended up more miserable than the first time they were together. It's not worth the pain."

"The Hinata I once knew was a hopeless romantic. She totally would've believed in giving love a second chance." Hinata chuckled sadly. "Yeah, well the Hinata you knew also hadn't gone through a stressful marriage."

"All marriages are stressful Hinata," Sakura said, resting a hand on her shoulder. "You just have to push through it."

"I couldn't push through it when he couldn't tell me he loved me."

"But he obviously did love you! I don't see what the big deal with him not saying that was."

Hinata sighed and turned back to the dishes. "You don't see the big deal because you have a husband and a daughter who can tell you 'I love you' everyday and every night. Your family also loves you and you know that how? Through their actions _and_ through their words. No one in my family ever told me they loved me. Then having to go through that again with Sasuke? I know everyone says actions speak louder than words but I just couldn't take it anymore. I just needed to hear someone say it to me for once."

Sakura looked at Hinata with sad eyes. Hinata looked back at Sakura and smiled sadly back. "It's okay Sakura, don't feel bad for me. Marriage and love isn't meant for everyone – I guess I'm just one of those people."

"Hinata, everyone should be loved. Absolutely everyone. And I know that Sasuke loves you. Don't you love him?"

"Of course," Hinata said matter of factly. "I've always loved him and I always will." Sakura looked a little surprised when Hinata said this. All Hinata did was smile back at her. "Yes, I love him. But it didn't work. And I'm okay with that."

"Are you really Hinata?"

Hinata took in a breath and held it for a second while she thought about what to say next. "Yes," she finally said, exhaling her held breath. "I'm okay." Once she and Sakura finished the dishes, Hinata gave Sakura a hug. "Thank you so much for having me over! I should probably head home now."

"Are you sure?" Sakura said, still a bit sadden for her friend. "You don't have to leave just yet. You didn't even say by to Namiko."

Hinata looked in the direction where Namiko's bedroom was located. She didn't know for sure, but she had a feeling Sasuke was in there. Even though she wasn't afraid to talk to Sasuke, talking to Sakura loosened old emotions she had kept hidden for quite sometime; Hinata knew that if she saw Sasuke, she wouldn't be able to keep her cool.

Looking back at Sakura, Hinata gave her another hug. "I'm sure. She's sleeping anyways. I'll come back another day to properly say bye to my lovely Namiko." With that, Hinata headed towards the front door. "Bye Sakura," she said, waving goodbye to her friend. Sakura waved back, giving her a soft smile as she watched Hinata close the door behind her.

* * *

><p><em>Back in the bedroom…<em>

For the past five minutes, Naruto has been trying to get Sasuke to admit his feelings but hasn't succeeded. "I can't believe that after all of this time, you're afraid to tell Hinata you love her!" Naruto finally exclaimed in frustration. "Just tell her already! You're being stupid!"

"I can't tell her! It's too late!" Sasuke whispered harshly. With this, a big grin appeared on Naruto's face. "So you do love her! I knew it!" Sasuke rolled his eyes at his friend. "Shut up." Moving towards the rocking chair, Sasuke took a seat and looked towards the crib. He watched his goddaughter sleep peacefully for a minute or two before speaking again.

"I always thought Hinata and I would have a kid before you two did," he said with a sad tone.

"Sorry bud, I guess I beat you on that one," Naruto quipped. "But it's really not too late. You can still tell Hinata you love her."

"You know I can't do that. What if she's seeing someone?"

"Sakura told me that Hinata hasn't dated since the divorce. We've tried setting up double dates with her but she always refuses to go."

"Okay well…what if her father doesn't approve?"

Naruto gave Sasuke a weird look. "You know very well that you don't give a rat's ass about what Hinata's father thinks. And at this point, I don't think Hinata cares either."

"Okay well what about – "

"Okay I'm stopping you right there!" Naruto said. "You're going to suck it up and tell Hinata you love her. So what if she turns you down? At least you would've finally told her. If anything, if you tell her this, you both can move on with your lives right?"

Sasuke sighed. "I guess."

"Good, I'm glad we're in agreement then. Alright, now stand up and tell me you love me."

Now it was Sasuke's turn to give Naruto the weird look. "What?" he asked in confusion.

"I'm Hinata, or at least pretending to be. Now get up and tell me you love me."

"Naruto I don't think it works like that. You're obviously not Hinata and I think this whole plan is stupid anyways."

"Ahh just shut up and try it will ya?" Sasuke sighed again. "Okay," Sasuke said, complying to Naruto's demand.

Standing up, he took in a deep breath. Sasuke looked down at his feet as he began talking. "Hinata I love you."

Naruto laughed, which made Sasuke angry. "What's so funny?" Sasuke asked with angry eyes.

"You didn't even look at me! How's Hinata going to take you seriously when all you're doing is looking at your feet?"

Sasuke knew Naruto was right but wouldn't give him the pleasure of acknowledging it. "Whatever. Let me try again."

"Would it help if I used my sexy jutsu?" Naruto asked with a naughty grin. Sasuke hit Naruto in the head. "You're such an idiot. Just stand there and pretend to be Hinata alright?"

"Sheesh, fine, whatever. You try and help a friend…" Naruto stopped himself from talking any further while Sasuke got himself ready. This time, Sasuke looked Naruto straight in the eyes while speaking.

"Hinata, I love you."

"Hmm, that was better," Naruto started. "So you say 'I love you' and then what?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean you have to give her a little bit more. You have to give her intimacy."

"How can I do that?"

Naruto rolled his eyes. "You really don't know anything huh? Here, let me show you." Naruto took Sasuke's hand in his and looked lovingly into his eyes. This gesture weirded Sasuke out and he tried to pull away. Despite Sasuke's resistance, Naruto kept a tight grip on his hand.

"Hey look…" Naruto started out. "I love you. And I know these words may be too late to save anything we have but I mean it – I love you. I think about you all of the time and you're the first and last thing I think of each night. I'm sorry for not admitting it earlier, but I am now – I love you."

"You know, people warned me this might happen." The voice that suddenly permeated in the room caused both Naruto and Sasuke to jump far away from each other. Naruto looked over by the door and saw his beautiful wife shaking her hand.

"Hi honey! I promise you this isn't what it looks like!" he said, trying to explain his behavior.

Sakura raised an eyebrow skeptically. "Sure Naruto, sure."

"Sakura I don't love Sasuke! Not like that!" Naruto shouted loudly. His shouting woke up Namiko from her sleep and she immediately started crying.

"Now look what you've done," Sasuke said, looking over at the crying baby in the crib. Since he was the closest to her, he reached into the crib and picked Namiko up, bouncing her up and down gently to calm her down.

"And you said she doesn't like you," Naruto said with a smile, looking over at his daughter and his best friend. Sasuke just shook his head. "She doesn't. She just wanted someone to pick her up."

"Believe me Sasuke, she likes you," Sakura said, still watching from the doorway. "She'd let you know if she thought otherwise. The other day, Lee came and visited and when he tried picking her up, she screamed her head off!"

"Well bushy brow scares everyone so I don't blame her," Naruto said with a displeasing look as thoughts of Lee ran through his head.

Sakura giggled before returning her attention to Sasuke. "Well, that aside, there's a reason I came in here. I just wanted to let you know that Hinata left."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "She did?"

"Yep, she did. Are you going to do anything about it?"

"No." When he said this, Sasuke looked up from Namiko to see the stares of his two former teammates fixated upon him.

"Are you seriously telling me that we practiced for nothing?" Naruto asked with a bit of annoyance in his voice. "Come on! Suck it up and win her back!"

"No. I'll probably end up hurting her again. She's better off without me."

"Now that's not true Sasuke," Sakura interjected. "You've matured a lot in the past two years. I don't think – no, I know you won't hurt her. Last time, you two were forced together. This time, it'll be by choice. I for one thinks that makes a world of difference."

Sasuke went quiet for a minute, thinking about what Sakura had just said. While it was true that he had matured in the past two years, he was still afraid of brining Hinata more pain. "It won't."

At this point, Naruto was furious with Sasuke. "Sasuke, you idiot! Why are you so stupid?! Get out of your feelings for once in your life and do something you're afraid of doing! Seriously, you're like a moody teenager! I'm so sick of it and if you keep doing this, I'm gonna have to – "

"She still loves you."

Sasuke and Naruto turned to Sakura. "What?" they asked at the same time.

Sakura sighed. "Gosh, she'd kill me for this but…she just told me that she still loves you. And she said that she's okay with you two not working out but I could tell that she was lying. Sasuke, you have to go get her. Please."

"Sakura, don't lie," Sasuke said. "If she didn't say that, I don't want to make a fool of myself just because you two want us back together."

"I'm not lying," Sakura said point blank. "Believe me, I wouldn't lie about love."

"Well actually," Naruto began as he interrupted. "There was that one time back when we were younger when you –"

Sakura raised her hand to silence him. "Not the time Naruto," she said underneath her breath.

Sasuke looked at both of his friends before walking towards the doorway. He had finally made up his mind. "Wait, where are you going?" Naruto asked his friend who hadn't said anything in a while.

"See you three later," he said, holding one hand up as he walked away.

Naruto rolled his eyes. "He's such a moody person." Sakura smiled softly as she looked towards the door. "Yeah, but he's our moody person."

* * *

><p>Halfway towards her apartment, Hinata realized that she didn't want to go home just yet. The party had brought up a lot of emotions that she had locked away; she needed to sort them out in her mind before heading back. Stopping in a park, Hinata decided to sit on a bench and watch the sunset.<p>

Staring out into the distance, she let her mind run rampant of thoughts of her and Sasuke and how they once used to be together. "I wish we would've worked," she whispered out loud to herself. Sighing, she kept her eyes fixated on the sky as some of the inhabitants of the village walked by her.

Sasuke wasn't really sure where Hinata would be by now. What he really wanted was to catch Hinata before she reached her apartment; he thought it would be awkward for him to stop by her home unannounced to express his feelings for her. Anywhere else would be better for him.

He decided the cut through the park near Hinata's place, hoping to get ahead of her. That way, he could strategically place himself in a way that made it look like they just happened to bump into each other. However, he soon realized that he wouldn't have to make that happen – up ahead, he could see the one and only kunoichi he was in love with. She looked beautiful sitting on that bench and Sasuke longed to be right next to her.

Quickening his pace, Sasuke wasn't really thinking about what to say. All he knew is that he finally felt that he could do this. Ready to face the challenge head on, Sasuke stopped right in front of Hinata. Yet when he did this, he froze. His body refused to move and he tried to form words but nothing would come out of his mouth.

Hinata's gaze on the sky was paused by the person standing in front of her. Moving her head slightly, she noticed that it was the very person she was trying not to think of. "Sasuke…are you okay?" Hinata asked, looking at him weirdly. All Sasuke could manage to do was nod. _This is so embarrassing_, he thought to himself.

"…Can I help you with something?" she asked, wondering why the shinobi in front of him wasn't moving. "Uh…well…no…," Sasuke managed to get out as he tried to speak again.

"Okay then. Well…I don't mean to be rude but could you move? You're blocking my view."

"Right." With that, Sasuke finally managed to get himself stuck from his spot and started to walk away. As he walked away, he looked back at Hinata and realized that he wasn't going to get another chance with this if he didn't try now. Sasuke turned himself around and walked back up to the end of the bench.

"Hinata?" She turned to look at him. "Yes Sasuke?"

"Do you mind if I sit here?"

"Umm no, go ahead," she responded quietly. _He's acting so strangely_, Hinata thought. _I hope everything's okay._

Sasuke sat on the opposite end of the bench, giving Hinata plenty of space. Together they sat in silence and watched the sun slowly descend below the horizon. When the sun was finally done setting and the sky was dark, Hinata rose from her spot on the bench. "Well, I'll see you around Sasuke." She began to walk by him when Sasuke stopped her, catching her hand softly. "Hinata, wait," he said softly. Hinata turned around and looked at their hands for a moment. When their hands touched, a warm feeling radiated throughout her body that she had long forgotten about.

She pulled her hand away from his before she became too familiar with the feeling. "Yes?"

Sasuke didn't want to rush into what he wanted to say so he decided to start off with a normal question. "How are you?"

Hinata shrugged. "You mean in the hours since you asked me that question? I'm fine. How are you?"

Sasuke couldn't help but smirk at Hinata's cheekiness. "I'm fine."

"Are you sure? Because you were acting pretty weird earlier."

"Yes Hinata, I'm sure. Do you want to keep standing?"

"I don't know, are you about to tell me something that I should be sitting down for?"

"Possibly," Sasuke said coolly. Hinata gave him a look before sitting down in the middle of the bench; she was sitting closer than she had been beforehand but she still left a comfortable amount of space between the two of them.

"So…" Hinata started. "What do you want to tell me?"

Sasuke took in a deep breath and looked straight into Hinata's eyes. "Look, I'm not one to shy away situations that make me uncomfortable. I'm not a coward. Yet when I'm talking to you I'm…I'm not myself." Hinata kept her eyes on Sasuke, nodding a bit to let him know that he continue talking.

"It's completely stupid and I hate acting that way. I've faced the worst people imaginable in battle and yet you manage to fluster me. It really makes me uncomfortable."

"Oh," Hinata said. "Well, I'm sorry for making you uncomfortable."

"Hinata I'm not trying to make you feel bad. That's the exact opposite of what I want." Sasuke sighed and looked away from her. "Look, I've been beating around the bush too much already so I'm just going to come out and say it." He turned his head to face Hinata face on.

"I still love you Hinata."

Hinata's eyes widened as she felt her heart rate quicken. "What?" she replied softly.

"I still love you Hinata. I've never stopped loving you. When we first got married, I'll admit that I wasn't too excited. But over that one year, I fell in love with you. Yet, when you would tell me that you loved me, I could never say it back because I was afraid of being hurt. So I thought it would be better if I acted cool and uncaring around you. In some crazy way, I thought that somehow you'd stop loving me so I wouldn't have to deal with my you didn't. You loved me, even when I was a terrible husband to you. But even you had your limits. When you asked for a divorce that night, I couldn't say no because I knew you deserved better than me. At that point, anyone was better than me. I was a horrible person back then, but I've grown a lot in the past two years. Now, after all that time, I finally realize that…" Sasuke paused and took Hinata's hands into his. "Being in love is better than pushing it away."

Hinata just started at him for minutes after he finished speaking. She didn't know what to say in response; she had always imagined what she'd do if Sasuke ever professed his love to her but now that it was actually happening, it was her turn to be the frozen one.

"I'm not saying you have to be with me again," Sasuke finally said after the long moment of silence. "I just had to tell you how I felt. You deserve at least that much from me."

"Wow," she finally said. "This is…this is all so sudden. I wasn't really expecting this."

"I know," Sasuke said softly. He let go of her hands but kept his gaze on her. "And I'm sorry for putting this on you all at once."

Hinata just sighed. "Who do you think you are?"

"Huh?" Sasuke was surprised by her question - it certainly wasn't one he was expecting.

"Did you think that I'd just run back into your arms after you said that?" she asked, a bit of anger seeping into her tone. Sasuke shook his head. "No, I didn't."

"Good, because I'm not going to. Sasuke Uchiha, you have a lot of nerve doing this to me. Professing your love to me after two years and a divorce. Honestly if I didn't love you back, I'd punch you."

Sasuke's eyebrow went up the moment she uttered the word love. "So... you still love me too?"

Hinata's cheeks went red but she still kept her angry demeanor. "So what if I did? That doesn't mean that we're going to get back together and we're going to live happily ever after. Because that doesn't happen to people. At least it doesn't happen for us."

"Well…maybe not the first time. But second time's the charm?"

"It's third time's the charm, Sasuke."

"I know, I just wanted you to get more annoyed at me," Sasuke smirked and Hinata punched him in the arm.

Sasuke grabbed his arm after Hinata punched him, a bit shocked from the pain that started radiating throughout his arm. "Your punches are harder than I remember."

"Yeah, and I can do it again if you want to get smart with me."

"You trying to be angry doesn't really work," Sasuke said with a smirk. "Look, I love you and you love me. But we both messed up in the past. We're not a fairy tale."

"Exactly," Hinata agreed.

"And maybe we won't end up together in the end. So we shouldn't try at all."

Hinata nodded. "Good, I'm glad we agree."

"Want to get dinner with me?" Sasuke suddenly asked. Hinata gave the man sitting next to her a weird look. "Hinata, dinner is not going to kill you" Sasuke said, this time giving her a full fledged smile.

"Well, it might. I could die of food-poisoning."

"Okay well taking that into the consideration, will you get dinner with me?"

She thought about this for a moment. However, Hinata couldn't deny what she was feeling. Plus, who could give up a free meal with the guy she loved? After making her decision, Hinata sighed and uncrossed her arms. "Fine, I'll go. But I have one condition."

"Anything," Sasuke said, offering her a hand. Hinata took it and stood up from the bench.

"The next time you want to tell me you love me, don't wait two years to do it." With that, Hinata finally smiled at him, which made Sasuke smile back.

"Deal."

* * *

><p><strong>And with that, the story is finished! Did you like the ending? I know I do, I'm pretty pleased with it. I like that fact that there are still a lot of unknowns but it ends happily<strong>

**To those who have been reading this story since I posted my first chapter over a year ago, thank you for staying on this journey with me! And to those who just stumbled upon my story for the first time, welcome! I'm sorry this story is over but don't worry! I'm posting another one soon :)**

**Writing this has been an emotional ride, to say the least haha. Seriously, for those who have been keeping up with this story, thank you. I know my writing can be a bit dramatic at times but that's only because I use my writing as an outlet to express my emotions when I'm not feeling that great. I seriously debated with myself for the longest over whether Sasuke & Hinata should be together in the end. Up until I started writing this chapter, I'll admit that I was learning towards having them stay apart. But I'm a hopeless romantic; I love those sappy romantic endings! I like the ending I wrote because it's a bit ambiguous - yes, Hinata and Sasuke are together right now, but are they together in the future? I don't know. And that's the crazy thing about love and romance - it's such a weird and thrilling ride that you're not always sure where you're going to end up but you always hope that you end up happy. I hope my romantic story, whatever that may be, turns out to be one with a happy ending. But I suppose I'll just wait and see what the future has for me!**

**Sorry for such a long rambling! I just had a lot to say. I'm just proud of myself because I finally finished a story! But I'm also excited for what my next story holds! Stay tuned and stay awesome people!**

**~Lovelyangelxox**

**P.S. Always remember to play, laugh, grow, and love ^-^**


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